The Promise
by Cute Gallifreyan
Summary: [Sequal to Exile PostDoomsday] The Doctor comes back to the home of a friend that he made a promise to, although still hurting internally from missing Rose. He takes her with him only to be caught up in an adventure with her and Sarah Jane Smith. Complete
1. Loneliness

**A/N: Here it is, the sequal to my story Exile. Slightly a cliche title but I was struggling for a name and this name seemed to fit. Hope you enjoy the continuing adventures of Ta'sheeka and the Doctor. **

**I don't own Doctor Who. I only own the mischeviousness of my own chars. ;) **

**XXXX**

**Chapter one: Loneliness **

Alone. The universe is a very busy place, but for a Time Lord in his blue box, that just wasn't the case. He had offered Donna Noble a chance to come with him, but she had refused, and it was just as well, he missed Rose terribly. He was sulking around the TARDIS and just floating in the vortex. He could just as easily float there for the next thousand years for all he cared. Nothing was the same without Rose and the pain of being alone in the universe sunk in deeply.

The TARDIS didn't seem to help him either. She kept breaking down, seeming to sense that the Doctor was in a despondent mood. He'd grumble about having to spend time repairing fused wires, and fused circuits but it was her way of keeping him focused on something other than Rose. The TARDIS was debating something in her cunning circuitry. She had to do something to get the Doctor out of this mood, Rassilon help her if he stayed in the vortex. She could only imagine that if he regenerated, he would more than likely become a sour melancholy soul. She liked the Doctor in his tenth body, of course she liked all the Doctors but, some were more pleasant than others. No, she had to do something and that was all there was to it, even if she had to break something inside of her just to make the Doctor happy.

She went through his mind going through the various people that they had met in their travels. Where exactly were they in the vortex anyway? Earth would be the best place. The Doctor loved Earth, and she did too. But the Doctor was being fussy lately, if she tried to pull herself out of the vortex toward Earth, the Doctor would notice it in a hearts beat. He was too much of an Earthphile and he could sense if she made a minor adjustment toward Earth. Nope it couldn't be Earth this time. The Doctor needed to be with friends. There was always Sarah Jane, but Sarah Jane was just as fond of the Doctor as Rose had been. That idea was out of the question. Then the TARDIS smiled, remembering the strange alien that had been on her earlier. The TARDIS liked her, the Doctor liked her too. The Doctor had made a promise to visit her, but of course the Doctor had forgotten. No doubt, Ta'sheeka probably thought that the Doctor had forgotten her. Well this was one promise the Doctor was not going to break. The TARDIS suddenly came to halt in the vortex putting what ever power she had to divert themselves to Mala'shi. She groaned feeling wiring, paneling and instruments crack inside of her. She heard the Doctor cry out, "Now what!!"

The Doctor hit controls, panels, nothing was working right. "Come on girl, this is no time to be fickle." The TARDIS smiled within herself, and put what power she had in her to dematerializing on Mala'shi and then the panel went dead and smoke came up from the controls. The Doctor frowned, "What have you done this time?" The Doctor had always been suspicious of his TARDIS. She often took him to spots that were not on his agenda. It hadn't been the first time that the TARDIS had done something like this. But now he'd have to work on repairing her and he touched the instruments carefully. They flickered lightly, reassuring him that there was still life in them. He smiled, "You're stubborn old girl, I'll give you credit for that. Now where have you brought us this time?"

He opened the door of his TARDIS and took a peak outside. A veritable jungle was before him. "This doesn't look too familiar. Then again, I could be anywhere. Well first things first. I suppose I had better repair you and then I'll go exploring. Hopefully there will be someone one out there that can tell me where we are."


	2. A Familiar Face

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews. But that was such a small chapter and I love to write at least a good lengthy one for good measure. Have a little more. R/R please. I am so wanting reviews. I give out free cookies to all my reviewers. ;) Oh and before I forget. Part of this chapter was inspired a lot by Gridlock. That was such a beautifully scripted episode. **

**Chapter 2: A Familiar Face**

Paneling, wiring, and various components were strewn all over the TARDIS floor. "Ahh forget it. I'll work on it later." The Doctor was getting antsy and impatient. Although he had said to the TARDIS that he would repair her first off, he really, really wanted to know where he was. The TARDIS also seemed to be urging him to leave; he could feel her nudging him ever so lightly to go outside. Of course, it didn't help that his nature was one of curiosity. He quickly finished up on one panel and got up off the floor. Rubbing his dirty hands on his trouser legs, he opened the TARDIS door, quickly locked it and started off.

He took one step and ended up flat on his face, in a pile of mud. He spat the mud out of his mouth. He noted the composition of the soil; it was very soft and spongy in texture. That ruled out that he was on Earth. Why couldn't he remember what planet had soil like that? He was so sure he was careful wherever he went and when he got up he noted a root that had been protruding out of the ground. He frowned; he could have sworn that that wasn't there before. Suddenly his eyes went wide as the root creaked suddenly and sunk back down into the ground. A light laugh was heard, but he couldn't tell if it was close by or far away. He put his hands on his hips, "Hey!!" The laugh died away and the Doctor frowned, "It's not funny." Clearly someone on this planet had a sense of humor but as far as he was concerned it was not one bit humorous. But someone was here; he knew that, laughter meant that someone was here.

He saw a nearby river and went over to wash the mud off his face. He took a few handfuls of water and washed the mud off. A low rumbling was heard and he saw a few pebbles shake. He raised an eyebrow and he looked up to see a stampede of trees? Clearly some of the plant life on this planet didn't stay connected to the ground. The noise got louder. He began to run away from it. But he couldn't seem to out run the big graceful stocks with wavy arms that were closing down on him. He'd be crushed if he didn't move away quickly enough. They looked a lot like weeping willows but a lot taller and bigger. The trees were bearing down upon him and he suddenly grabbed one of the waving arms and held on for dear life. The tree that he grabbed a hold of swung him around as if he was a rag doll. It was determined to throw him to the ground and he was determined to hold on. And suddenly the tree limb broke off in his hands. He went tumbling his hands stilling holding onto the tree limb. He hit the ground hard and groaned as he passed out. Meanwhile smaller roots came from the ground and tied him down to the ground. The trees that were stampeding finally came to a stop by the same river and plunged there roots into the water taking a drink.

0-A few hours later-0

Waking up, the doctor groaned. Nothing seemed broken. Thank Rassilon for that. But then the horror came upon him that he could not move as he was tied down by roots. He struggled to move. But the harder he struggled the roots seemed to crush him further. He sighed, this seemed like this was going to be his end. He prepared to be crushed; he'd end up regenerating and then most likely crushed over and over again. He only had three lives left. At least the upside was that this wouldn't take too long, he was the last of the Time Lords and it seemed rather a disservice that his life was going to end being crushed by roots on a strange planet. But before the crushing from the roots got any harder, a white haired girl came peaking out from behind one of those moving trees.

He glared at her, he remembered her. It was Mala. Or at least that was what the Mala'shraians called her. He had a feeling she had a much older name. She had called herself At'atara, but names meant little to the Doctor. She probably was called something else. She was after all billions if not eons old. Names have a habit of being lost to time even to his own people. If she was here, then that meant that he was on Mala'shi. He had parted on relatively good terms with the planet. And now it seemed that she was out to get him. She smiled a mischievous smile. For a planet, she seemed very impish. He glared at her, "At'atara….let me go…"

"No…not till you apologize."

"What?" The Doctor's eyes went wide; all this because the planet had got it in her thick head that he needed to apologize. What had he done wrong this time?

She smiled seeing the clueless look in his eyes, "You haven't been back in at least ½ of a Mala'shraian year. That's 72 years on a human calendar. You have upset my daughter Ta'sheeka. You promised you would return and see her and you haven't."

The Doctor gulped, so all this brutal treatment by the planet was because he hadn't come back sooner. He wondered what he could say. He pondered all that had happened. It had been so short a time since he had seen Ta'sheeka and lost Rose and now he learned that it was 72 years later. To him, it had been at the most a couple of weeks. He muttered, "I got side tracked…."

At'atara smiled lightly and shook her head disapprovingly; "Time Lord, you are very bad at promises."

"Hasn't been the first time someone has told me that."

She looked thoughtful, "By your own people?"

He nodded.

"Then you deserve what you have gotten from me."

The roots slowly loosened around the Doctor and he was once again able to move and he got up off the ground. "Now wait a minute. I am sorry I am late. But I got side tracked. I honestly did. I ran into a whole bunch of Daleks and Cybermen. And then I lost Rose to a parallel Earth. I can never get her back again."

At'atara cringed lightly at the mention of Daleks and Cybermen and the Doctor noticed it, "I take it you are aware of them."

"They came upon me once. The Daleks. I did not want to harm them, it is not in my nature to harm anyone, but my people cried out in pain and the priests prayed to me to help them. The high priestess talked to me and begged that I strike out against them. I reached out with all my strength and crushed them. They hurt me, Time Lord. Part of the planet has died because of them. They burned part of my body, the planet, my cells, the trees, the plants, the animals. I lost feeling in part of me. It has taken at least 2 Mala'shraian years for me to slowly regain feeling once again"

The Doctor sighed, that had to have been almost 300 years ago and he said, "I am sorry. At least you were able to drive them away. I can't say that about most planets." He reached out and patted At'atara on the head. She had some feeling as he touched her, some solidness; it wasn't as if she was transparent like some psychic projections he had met. Then again, she was very unique. Her story rang a chord in him. _They burned part of my body, the planet. _

She seemed to note his sadness. She pondered over it for a minute and then remembered him saying he had destroyed his own planet, "Doctor, what happened to your planet? Was she like me?"

The Doctor sighed, "No. Most planets don't have a sentient consciousness to them. You're unique in the universe, At'atara. The sky was burnt orange and the trees had silver leaves, orange fields and snow covered mountains. It was amazing, but I had no choice. The Daleks came and they killed my people. In the end, I had to destroy both to save everything else. My planet burned." 

At'atara cringed and tears came down her face. The atmosphere suddenly changed and clouds began to form in the sky and the Doctor watched in astonishment as rain came down in direct response to what he had said, "Don't cry…." He wiped the tears from her face. "Does any part of your planet survive?" The rain was a steady drizzle now.

He sighed, "Nope just me and the TARDIS."

At'atara looked thoughtful, "I wish to do something for you Time Lord."

"Ahh you don't have to do anything for me. I am fine. A bit worn for my years, but you don't have to do anything for me."

She smiled softly, and the rain stopped as suddenly as it had begun, "Perhaps. But now you should see my daughter. She has gotten older these years. You are a long way from her. You must travel north of here, past the groves of the offspring she has planted of which is now tended by her children. She lives humbly. She chooses not to live in the city, where she was condemned so many years ago. She lives outside of it. She fears that she will become like the elders. So she stays close to her children. Warning them of the past, she is a good…"

The Doctor smiled, "A good mother….so how long will this trip take?"

"A good three days from here."

The Doctor cringed, "Maybe I should try and repair the TARDIS."


	3. Old Friends Reunite

**Chapter 3: Old Friends Reunite **

The Doctor was busy yet again working on his TARDIS he left the door open for a change since the moment At'atara tried to step inside of it, her corporeal form simply vanished. The Doctor liked her, despite the fact that she had caused him a lot of distress earlier. It had been a bit of a misunderstanding. His choice of who he liked, well even though she was a planet, it wasn't as if he didn't have any other unusual friends. The Face of Boe, for instance, no one was really sure what he was, just a big old face in a glass jar, but like himself, he was the last of his kind. At'atara stood by the doorway peaking in but not stepping fully in. She looked a bit sad that she couldn't step inside the TARDIS. The Doctor smiled lightly, "I'd take you with me if I could."

"And what exactly would I do?"

The Doctor looked thoughtful, she had him there.

She chuckled lightly, "Besides, I am needed here. If you took me away…"

"I know. This planet would cease to exist."

At'atara nodded and the Doctor was busy putting in some new wiring. "Tell me what's it like to be a planet? I am curious."

"This whole planet is my body and I feel myself hurtling around in space. All the little things within me down to the microcellular level I feel. I am telepathic, I am linked to everything telepathically and they are linked to me."

"So that explains why Mala'shraians are telepathic. You're the connection between them all."

She nodded and he let out a bit of cry as the TARDIS decided to give him a bit of a shock.

At'atara giggled lightly. The Doctor gave a bit of a scow, "You know…it's not very nice to laugh at others misfortunes."

She shrugged lightly not really seeming to care what the Doctor had said and she then said, "I have ways of getting you there, Doctor. Mala'shraian transports are very reliable…."

"Are you saying the TARDIS isn't reliable? She's one of the best ships…."

"Fine, have it your way Doctor. She'll be waiting for you at any rate."

The Doctor frowned, he heard a bit of a noise outside and running out of the TARDIS he saw a ship, "Aww….you shouldn't have. I have the TARDIS."

At'atara chuckled lightly, "Oh this isn't my ship. It's Ta'sheeka's ship. She's traveled a bit since you last saw her. I brought it here to personally bring you to her."

The Doctor went over, smiled and ran a hand over it, "Organic plant life, sentient. Not a bad ship. If you mind something that looks like a chia pet. But you really shouldn't have brought her ship here, won't she miss it?"

At'atara giggled lightly, "Yes, but she was planning on going to the Forest of Cheem today, a trading and ambassadorial mission. When I felt you coming, I swiped her ship. Her travels will have to wait."

"If you swiped her ship on the way to an ambassadorial mission then…."

A gangplank door opened and the Doctor grinned as he saw a very familiar curly headed sandy blond headed woman exit the ship. She wore a very fancy cloak that held the sheen of a pearl. As it glistened in the sunlight it shown with light blues, pinks, and greens. Nothing had changed too much about her, except the last time he had seen her she looked in her early twenties, now she looked like she was a teenager about fourteen to fifteen years of age. She looked very irate. "Bad ship…..you know better than that. I grew you myself. Forged your seeds in fire, shaped you into my own private transport and you…."

She cocked her head, "What do you mean you were 'called here'?"

The Doctor chuckled lightly amused at Ta'sheeka's irritated words. "She sounds very unreliable."

Tash turned around and saw the Doctor, "Doctor….you've returned." She ran over and gave the Doctor a very firm hug.

He smirked, "Hello Tash." He took a look at her, "What a fancy cloak. You've certainly coming up in the world."

She blushed lightly," I was on my way to visit Trees, Forest Cheem; my people are very sociable with them. Suddenly my primary coordinates changed and I was brought here."

He laughed, "It wasn't me; I swear it. It was the planet's idea."

Tash looked around and saw no one, "Hump….figures."

"Oh I take it you two haven't been getting along too well."

"Oh we get along, most of the time, except for the occasional mishap, like this."

The Doctor chuckled, "She sounds a lot like the TARDIS actually."

Tash shrugged lightly taking all that happened in its stride, and then looked around, "Where's Rose?"

The Doctor's whole demeanor went flat when Tash mentioned Rose. "She's gone Tash."

She frowned lightly, not seeming to understand what 'gone' meant. "She left you. I thought….she cared for you…."

The Doctor's shoulders slumped, "She does. She always will. It's a long story Tash."

Tash took off her cloak and placed it on the ground and sat on it, "I have time Doctor. Tell me what happened."

"I'd much rather hear about what's happened to you Tash. Tell you what, you tell me what's happened so far in your life and I'll tell you what happened."

Tash looked deeply into the Doctor's eyes and then she grasped onto his hand and then let go as if she had been burned and seared, "There is much pain in you, Doctor. Wounds healed and wounds with many scars. I feel it."

The Doctor looked at Tash and frowned. Tash was very perceptive towards things. He did not know how she could read that much off of him and so he asked, "How?"

Tash said calmly, "I am healer. To heal one must feel pain, make it theirs, bear it, and then carry it off upon the clear winds."

The Doctor looked slightly concerned, "You acted as if touching me hurt you."

Tash considered her words carefully, "With my people, Doctor. Healing is touch based. Whether it is physically based or mentally, it is the same, some of us have a bit of a stronger connection with it than others. That is why I was trained to be a healer."

He nodded, "I have many wounds of all sorts, Tash. Touching them may hurt you more than you realize. You can block…can't you?"

She nodded, "I can Doctor. I only heal if asked for. But why carry so much pain and why carry it alone? It is not good to carry pain alone."

The Doctor sighed; he wanted to say something to her. He wanted to tell her that the pain made him who he was; he wanted to tell her that it made him stronger but he couldn't. Even thinking about it made him ache inside. His hearts felt hollow, the pain of billions of deaths. Tash was right, it's not good to carry pain alone and without Rose, who made his existence worth living, he once again felt all that pain he had received over the past 900 years or so.

He decided to turn the conversation to something else and so he asked a question "You must be busy. Last time I was here, you were going to have children, with the help of the planet of course. How many children do you have?"

Tash blushed lightly, "Mala'shrians can have so many. Most of the time the average is at least in the 40's or 50's, but that was before the war, but up to this date I have 876 children or is it 879. I can't remember. I also have 2,365 grandchildren. And soon I'll have great grand children."

The Doctor chuckled," I don't suppose you are going to have any more children, are you?"

She blushed even more, "Doctor, I am worn out. Have you ever tried to raise that many children?"

The Doctor grinned, "Nope. Anybody that has that many children is either crazy or…."

She gave the Doctor a bit of an angry glance, "I never asked to have that many children. But I knew it was expected of me, Doctor. But having that many children is not without its benefits or risks. Having so many means I am never alone, that someone always is worried for me or cares for me. But the risk is…." She sighed and paused a bit.

The Doctor looked worried, when Tash mentioned risks. He took out his glasses but them on and looked at Tash with a deeper glance. Despite the fact that she carried a young look about her, but as he looked at her fully, he noticed that in truth she was haggard, tired, and worn.

"I am worn out, physically, Doctor. Having 870 odd offspring, no one in the history of my people ever had that many. We usually have 30 to 40. I am tired. I have had little rest. Plus I am asked to do so much for my children, for my people. I never asked to be a leader, yet I am. I am…tired." Tears began to come down Tash's face and the Doctor moved his arm over and let Tash pour out her tears, into his coat sleeve "You just need a break, Tash. When was the last time you actually rested? Had a vacation?"

Tash shrugged, she couldn't actually remember when she had such a thing and the Doctor grinned, "You see. Now you get into the TARDIS and you go right to bed. No work. Nothing."

She stuttered, "But….I have…to… go…to…"

The Doctor shook his head, Tash was about to have a nervous break down, he had seen it happen to lots of people. "No excuses Tash. You get into the TARDIS. Have a nice sleep. Your trip to Cheem is cancelled…"

"But….they'll be upset…."

He smiled "Don't worry, Tash. I have a way with people. And I know lots of people on Cheem. I'll handle it."

"You will?"

The Doctor nodded, "Of course….now hurry up and get inside the TARDIS. She is in another dimension you know? You'll have the best sleep that you haven't had in ages."

Tash gave the Doctor another cheerful hug and he ruffled her hair and he watched as she wandered into the TARDIS and disappeared into the many corridors that were within.

The Doctor's face pulled up into a very angry look and he yelled out, "At'atara, this is your fault. You have worn that poor girl out. I am taking her away from here. Do you hear me? She's done her job for you and she's broken inside. She hides it well, but it's not fooling me any. What have you done to her? She doesn't deserve that."

There was no answer for a moment and then he heard her voice, "Doctor….take her away from here. It is true, her job is done. I know she is not well. Do you think I do not know that? If you had come back sooner…." The wind gave a bit of a sigh, "It is my fault, and I should not have asked her to do so much."

The Doctor sighed, "Maybe it's mine. I did convince her to stay here. But I had no idea that it would cause such a toll on her health. I shouldn't have…."

The white haired girl suddenly appeared right beside the Doctor, "She would have stayed anyway, Doctor. Or she would have been torn between her duty to her home and to her people if she went with you. Surely you must know about being torn between what you want and what is the best for….?"

The Doctor muttered lightly, "Only too well. I guess I really do get to be a Doctor this time around. Thanks a lot, nursing the mental and physical health of a Mala'shraian is not my idea of fun."

At'atara laughed lightly, "What is your idea of fun Doctor?"

"You know I haven't the faintest idea, actually. I know it's somewhere between taking down a bunch of Daleks and keeping the TARDIS from falling apart. But other than that, I have no clue."

She smiled, "Then taking care of my daughter should be easy. My daughter is neither a Dalek nor your TARDIS."

The Doctor muttered, "Yea, that's why it's going to be a lot harder. I can deal with Daleks and my TARDIS but another person, that's different."


	4. Life, the Universe, and Everything else

**A/N: I am not to particularly sure if I am really fond of this chapter. I felt like I am rambling a bit. Oh well. Title is basically snipped from Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. hehe. And yes the answer is 42. ;) Please reivew and I'd be even more plused if I got 42 reviews. **

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 4: Life, the Universe, and Everything else In-between…. **

The Doctor closed a panel on the TARDIS, "That should do it…." He tried to turn it on. It remained off. The Doctor frowned and then he hit it and lights blinked on. He heard a light knock at the door and he frowned, "I wasn't expecting company." He took his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and he went to the door and opened it to see a brown haired green eyed Mala'shraian girl that looked around 50 years old. She was quiet and stared at the Doctor. The Doctor smiled, "You must be one of Tash's brood."

The woman laughed lightly, "I am the youngest. I always get sent on boring tasks like this. My name is Ta'sheeka but informally I am called Ta'sheekara and even that has been shortened, most people call me Kara, so I am not confused with my mum."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, kind of surprised that Ta'sheeka would name her youngest after her and not the oldest. The woman smiled, "Normally it is the oldest that carries on their parent's name but, my mum stated that she was the youngest and that it would be the youngest that would carry her name. Unfortunately, for all my other siblings there are a lot of Ta-hyphened names."

"Oooh that must be confusing," The Doctor added with a smirk.

Kara laughed lightly, "Indeed so. You should meet Ta'zir, my brother or my sister Ta'qiala. They are teased; they say my mum was running out of names."

The Doctor chuckled, "Soooo what brings you here?"

She sighed, "My mother of course. When she didn't respond on her ship, I was sent to track her. I found you instead and her ship, absent with her in it. You're sort of legend around here according to her."

The Doctor sighed,"Your mum isn't well Kara. I am taking her away from here."

Kara gulped, "No, you can't…."

"Why not? She's not well."

Tash's daughter looked at the Doctor, her green eyes filled with concern, "We'll miss her. She's our leader. She's so much to us. She's our spiritual leader; she tells us the will of Mala. She's our mother, wise and blessed. She's lead us to a new glorious and grand age, what will we do without her?"

"Didn't your mother leave someone else to take over?"

She looked scared, "I am her heir, and she said I was to lead after she was gone along with some of my family. But I am so young. I am only 210 years old. Some of my older siblings have so much more experience than me. Please don't take her away. Please, please….please."

The Doctor sighed and then said calmly, "Kara, I don't know what to say but I think it's time the apron strings to your mum should be cut. You rely way too much on her. She has taught you hasn't she? And your brother's and sisters? You'll be fine. You seem like a sweet, smart, and intelligent young Mala'shraian."

Kara fell to the floor of the TARDIS sobbing, "No….I am not ready."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. He did not do domestics well. This would have been so easy if this had been Rose and Jackie. He normally was yelling at Rose's mum. It was a bit strange. Kara was just a young girl although looked to be older than most normal humans. And Tash? Tash was an old woman but looked…. Oh never mind all that, he thought. The situation was still the same, mother, daughter. Although Kara was acting a lot like Jackie, pleading for the Doctor not to take Rose, only this time it was a daughter pleading for the Doctor not to take her mother away. Such a strange group of people Mala'shraians were. He had better get out of here before all of Tash's progeny decided to storm the TARDIS. If they were anything like Kara, this really could be trouble.

"Kara Nirata quit your sobbing. I told you you're mother is not well. If you don't believe me come and see for yourself."

He grabbed the Mala'shraian by the hand and pulled her off the floor and went through the TARDIS.

Taking her into a quiet little room, he said to Kara, "Now be quiet, your mum's sleeping away. I don't want anyone to wake her."

Kara nodded and sniffed lightly. The Doctor sighed and took out a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her. Kara dried her tears and blew her nose. She went into the room. She looked at her mother. She was so quiet. She lightly kissed her on the cheek. Tash did not stir. "Mum?"

The Doctor gave Kara a bit of an angry glance, he had told her not to disturb her. But Tash moaned lightly but did not wake up.

"What's the matter with her?" Kara said suddenly concerned.

"Straight out mental and physical fatigue, basically she's worn out. Her whole body chemistry is way off, for a member of your race, it's a wonder she's still alive."

Kara sighed and looked thoughtful, "She's been talking odd for days now. She said that her trip to Cheem was going to be her last trip. I was worried. There was some talk that she was just going to disappear. Mala'shraians do that when they get older. They just wander off. Although generally that doesn't happen till we get older. We don't generally talk about it. It's just one of those things."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow and then nodded, "It could have very well have been. Kara, do you have any idea how old your mother is?"

She shrugged,"No, she doesn't really say. If I had to guess, I would say at least 600."

"She shouldn't be that tired not at that age. At least I think she shouldn't. And what do you mean wander off?"

"Death, Doctor. At least my mother told me that in the final days before we feel ourselves become younger, we take the journey. It's hard to explain because my mother didn't really tell me much about it. She said I'd know when that time came. She said it's just part of instinct and that eventually at our end we just quietly fade away. We go somewhere, I don't know where. Mum never said where. She said it wasn't fit for the old to talk about death to the living."

The Doctor looked a bit frustrated, at Kara's lack of description regarding death, like that was really helpful. Lots of coded words, metaphors and things that made no sense to him, then again death made very little sense to most sentient species. Most species came up with stories and beliefs trying to explain the end of their own existence. And it sounded like Tash was trying to protect the sensitivities of her children. Thinking about it a lot more, he wondered if Tash's people practiced a type of ritual suicide when they got older. But since suicide was normally considered a taboo among most species, it might explain the lack of description. Although Tash didn't strike him as suicidal, he would have to ask her about it when she woke up, provided that she did actually wake up.

"You wouldn't happen to have any treatments to help sick Mala'shrians do you?"

Kara reached into a pouch that she had with her and pulled out various treatments and ointments and other such things. "Mum taught me to be a healer. So you're fortunate that I have a lot of those treatments. Do you want me to tell you which one does what?"

"Nah….I'll figure it out. Now you go along Kara. Go back to all your siblings and tell them I am helping you're mum out. If I leave, I leave and if I don't I don't. I am very worried for her. Besides if it's your mum's final journey as you say it is, then you're just going to have to get use to living your life without her. Now go on."

Kara sighed and a few tears were in her eyes. She bent over her mother and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Good bye mother…..if this is our last meeting then I pray Mala keep you well on your journey."

The Doctor watched as Kara left and he sighed. He hated taking Tash away from her home, after all this was her home and her people relied heavily on her. But he wanted to save her life. And the only way he felt to do that was to cut the ties that bound her to her people. So after the young daughter had left her mother he went to his control panels and took the TARDIS into the void. The Blue Police Box dematerialized away from the planet; this time floating in the void meant something. It meant the life of a friend.


	5. Companionship…

**A/N: I slightly liked writing this chapter. Maybe it was dwelling with an extreme amount of sickness with a character, I don't know. And I hope you like this chapter. **

**Please R/R. **

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 5: Companionship… **

The Doctor sighed as he sat down by Tash's bed, he didn't know what to make of her condition. She slept for days on end and he was worried and extremely concerned. Was she dying? He didn't know. He checked her blood for infections and various tests. In addition, he spooned various Mala'shraian medicines into her mouth carefully. She had been occasionally feverish as well and so he often took a soft wet cloth and dabbed it across her head. Touching her skin, it was very clammy to his touch, plus sometimes took on a light warm golden glow, that clearly wasn't human in origin and made the Doctor think about his regeneration occasionally. Frequently he would comment, "Just once I wish Rose was still around." Nursing wasn't really his thing; it was too much close to domestics but being concerned for a friend he was willing to step out of his zone.

On the second week of this delicate care, when Tash called him Ti'wellan, her long dead brother, the Doctor knew that Tash wasn't in her right mind and that the fever she was having was dangerously high. He had finally had it and taking her in his arms, he stripped her of all her clothing and placed her in an ice bath to lower her temperature. He debated often whether or not to touch her mind to see if the problem was based in her psyche. Although part of him didn't want to do it as Tash was telepathic as well, plus he remembered how Reinette was able to read his mind when he touched her. If he could read Tash's mind then more than likely she could read his as well. He did not want to add any more worry upon the fevered Mala'shraian's mind. So he waited patiently and cared for Tash, because what more could he do?

On the fifteenth day, the third week he had Tash onboard the TARDIS, he was ecstatic to see her open her eyes, "You're alive….I thought a few times that you were going to die."

Tash sighed weakly, "What happened? All I remember is lying down for a few hours and…."

The Doctor chuckled,"A few hours, try a few weeks."

Tash blushed lightly, "Was I sick? I am sorry. I will do all I can to…."

He shook his head, blasted Mala'shraians and there idea of reciprocating generosity. Depending on how close a friend you were with a Mala'shraian, the level of generosity increased. Some followed it religiously others not so much. It was clear that Tash tried to follow the tenets of her race and beliefs to the utmost. She was a good heart. Too good in fact, that her ideas of virtue were so warm and inviting that she had worn herself out in the task of taking care of her offspring. Tash was in no condition to offer anything back for all the care he had given her.

He sighed, "You owe me nothing Tash. Just live a little longer that's all."

He offered her water and Tash gulped it down in eager greedy swallows. He then asked her, "Do you think you could handle anything to eat? You must be starving."

Tash looked thoughtful, "Yes, as long as it has no meat to it, Doctor. I am a vegetarian."

He smiled and he ruffled her hair a bit, pleased to know she was hungry and to be picky enough to remind him of her species' dietary habits. She then said something that alarmed him, "Doctor, please may I stay with you. I once remembered being in your garden. It could use tending. When was the last time you had anyone tend your garden?"

The Doctor looked thoughtful, "I haven't done anything to my garden since the Time War, Tash. I am afraid that my garden has gotten a bit unsightly since I last did anything to it. I know Rose tried to do something with it once, but she really didn't have a green thumb. Gardening really wasn't her thing. Why do you want to stay? And why do you want to tend my garden?"

Tash sighed, "It has been a long time since I have planted or looked after any gardens, Doctor, and I have been too busy back home to even consider just simple gardening just for fun. I remember when gardening was supposed to be fun. Now all it is is work."

The Doctor smiled lightly, "Then Tash, consider it a gift, I give to you the TARDIS garden, for your pleasure."

Tash leaped from her bed, any previous signs of being sick or tired diminished from her body. She threw her arms around the Doctor and gave him a tremendous hug. "Oh thank you, thank you."

The Doctor chuckled, "If I knew that was going to make you well, I should have offered you the garden right off. But since you're so fond of gardens and plants, I'll take you to all of the greatest gardens of the universe. I think you would like that. Come to think of it. I haven't been to some of those places since…." He sighed and he paused, he didn't want to say the Time War, but it was on the tip of his tongue regardless. He then said, "It's just been awhile."

Tash shook her head, "Oh no, that would be way too much, Doctor. I couldn't. I just couldn't take that offer from you. It wouldn't be right, it wouldn't be fair."

He sighed; leave it to a Mala'shraian to be so very unassuming to the point of rejecting his minor offers to see the universe with him. He would have to offer at least four or five times before she accepted.

"Are you sure Tash?"

"I am quite sure; tending your garden is more than enough."

"Well it doesn't really matter to me. I am just happy to go anywhere. But I know you're fond of gardens. I wouldn't mind taking you."

"Doctor, you took care of me. I assure you. I am happy enough."

The Doctor sighed, this bordered on insanity. He could tell that Tash liked the offer, but it was extremely annoying to have to ask again and again. But he knew that if he didn't, she would then complain that he hadn't taken her to those places, and that she had really wanted to go. And even if he did take her without her consent, she would hound him with saying that she hadn't asked for it in the first place.

He had finally had enough of it though and said, "Confound it you silly Mala'shraian, just accept my offer."

Tash blushed slightly embarrassed, "Honestly, you really are impatient, Doctor. Very well, if you insist…."

The Doctor grinned, "That wasn't so bad. I don't know what it is with your people, but you act like it would kill you just to accept something. Come on though; let's get you something to eat first."


	6. A Garden without its Rose…

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated sooner, but other projects…. Hehe. Please Read and Review. **

**XXXX**

**Chapter Six: A Garden without its Rose… **

The Doctor smiled watching Tash eat a bowl of soup, some bread, and some cheese. So she wasn't a pure vegetarian, but then again there were so many different types of vegetarians anymore in the universe, it could get confusing to tell one type apart from another. She took a break from her eating, "Doctor, you were going to tell me about Rose."

The Doctor froze, the wound was still fresh. He didn't want to talk about Rose. It hurt. Tash was the only other "Rose" he had. He didn't want to talk about it because truthfully he was afraid that if he talked about Rose, he was afraid that he might jinx himself and lose Tash as well. He didn't consider himself superstitious, but he almost had lost Tash. She looked so thin and wane after her sickness, but still a very pleasant smile was on her face. Mala'shraians are pretty tough stock, and considering how long they usually lived they had to be. To think, that Tash's race was on the brink of being extinct only to come back with a vengeance after 72 years was simply amazing and a credit to one lone Mala'shra and the consciousness of a planet. He wished that somehow he could do the same for his people, but he couldn't, but seeing Tash alive and well, filled a bit of that gaping chasm inside his hearts.

He sighed, "I can't Tash. I miss her and it hurts to talk about her. Please don't ask me to talk about her."

Tash looked thoughtful and then taking a very loud slurp from her bowl said, "Okay Doctor, but I don't believe you will heal if you don't."

The Doctor cringed and then yelled at Tash "Who are you to tell me what will heal me and what won't?" And then he looked down at the floor at his converse trainers, ashamed that he had yelled at Tash, for he considered her a friend.

Tash sighed, "Anger is good Doctor, and it means you are healing. Yell at me all you wish. I know you do not mean it."

"Bloody hell, who do you think you are, Freud?"

Tash frowned, "Who?"

"Oh never mind. I know you are trying to help me Tash, but maybe I don't want your help."

Tash looked a bit hurt, "I am sorry." She got out of her seat and left the kitchen.

The Doctor sighed, he hadn't meant to yell at Tash or make her upset. He had to get out of the TARDIS that was all there was to it. Humans called it cabin fever; he suspected he had something similar, topped off with the heartbreak of missing Rose.

He decided to cool down for a moment before he went to find Tash and apologized to her. He knew where to find her; she'd be in his garden. He did after all just give it to her. Oh hell with it, he might as well find her now. He got up and wandered after her.

Wandering into the garden, his eyes went wide. The garden seemed very much alive to him as before him one lone Mala'shraian seemed to be swaying back and forth as if in a musical concert with his plants and the plants swayed with her, but they were growing. Flowers were blooming, trees were blossoming leaves. It kind of reminded him of the movie E.T. with, the alien causing the flowers to bloom rapidly. He walked over and touched Tash. She opened her eyes and smiled. "Doctor….you startled me."

He sighed, "Its beautiful Tash. You're quite a marvel with plants. Although, you should rest and not strain yourself."

"Why would I want to sleep? Didn't you say I slept for over three weeks? I am not tired, Doctor. If anything, I am restless as hell."

He chuckled lightly, "I was going to ask you about that, because truth be told, I am kind of feeling the same way. I know just the spot for someone like you."

She smiled, "Are you trying to apologize, Doctor?"

"Oi, smart as a whip, you are? How old are you again?"

Tash laughed lightly, "639."

"Right….and here all this time I thought I was talking to a fifteen year old."

Tash giggled lightly, "Silly Time Lord. I age in reverse."

He smiled lightly and then he said softly, "I am sorry I yelled at you, Tash. It's just….I really don't want to talk about Rose. It would be like asking you to talk about how you lost your family."

Tash bowed her head solemnly, "You are right, Doctor and I am sorry. It is only that I am worried for you. You helped me; I wanted to help you as well."

The Doctor smiled and gave Tash a bit of a squeeze, "I know. It's just that it's only been a few weeks since I lost Rose and….for you…."

Tash sighed, "72 years. I got on well enough without you Doctor. But to tell you the truth, I had used all my energy to give life to my home. There wasn't much left in me to do much more."

He nodded, he had thought about what she had done in his garden and wondered if she had done something similar on her home on a massive scale, if that was the case, no wondered she was tired and almost died. He then said, "Come along, Tash, lets go see some of the marvels of the universe and maybe if I feel like it, I might talk to you about Rose. If I feel like it…."


	7. Floating Gardens

**A/N: I could have gone on and on with this chapter, but decided to end it at a certain point. This chapter required a bit of research, and probably took more time to write than my other chapters. And no I have not been here. It's all online research from others who have been to this particular stop. I own nothing. Hope you enjoy. Please R/R **

**XXXX**

**Chapter Seven: Floating Gardens **

Tash took a peak outside of the TARDIS. It felt warm and slightly arid. The Doctor grinned, "Mexico City, Tash. Xochimilco, famous for it's floating gardens. Xochimilco, is Aztec, Tash. It means, 'Place of the Flowers.' He inhaled a bit of the air, "Feel that warm sultry air, Tash. Isn't it wonderful?"

Tash sighed, "Of all places, Doctor you had to choose Earth. Not that I am complaining any. But if I don't wear a hat or something over my blatantly obvious ears, I am a dead Mala'shra."

He smiled and plopped a sombrero on top of her head, "Ole…."

The hat plopped down over Tash's head and over her eyes, "Now I can't see."

"Is that all your race does, complain? I can see perfectly fine."

Tash rolled her eyes, "Sure you can see, but all I see in front of my eyes is a bunch of fancy tassels and hat."

"Honestly Tash, I give you a bit of local flavor and all you can do is fuss."

"I am not fussing. It's just really difficult to see anything at all."

She sighed and took the hat off her head, "Don't you have anything that's a bit smaller. I feel like I am swimming in hat."

The Doctor grinned, "I might have something that's a bit smaller. Go check in the TARDIS wardrobe."

Tash nodded and walked back into the TARDIS, a few minutes later she came back wearing a blue flowery head scarf. The Doctor smirked lightly, so much for hat wearing. "I think I liked the sombrero instead."

Tash shook her head, "You would. But it's terribly warm, my ears will sweat, I am hoping that this will keep my head relatively cool."

The Doctor grinned, "You could always go for plastic surgery. Round out those ears of yours." He was joking; he knew that Tash would never go for something like that. Mala'shraians were fiercely proud of their ears, as it was a defining feature of their race.

"Yea, right and you can go and have one of your hearts cut out of your chest, Doctor. No thanks; the ears stay the way they are."

He chuckled lightly, "Let me see, we are in the year 2007, I think…"

Tash rolled her eyes, "What do you mean, you think? Don't you know?

"Umm not exactly, I was having troubles getting the exact date. I know we are in the late 2000's. I believe we are in the year 2007, so therefore we should be in the year 2007."

Tash shook her head, "That makes a lot of sense, Doctor. No wonder you were 72 years late coming to see me."

"Anyway, Xochimilco. Long ago, in the valley where Mexico City stands was a lake called Lago Texcoco. The Aztecs, on its edge, long before the Spanish came, dug a series of canals, whose mud they heaped on the earth around the canals or on anchored reeds atop the water. These plots of land appeared like floating islands called chinampas - hence, their name 'floating gardens.'"

Tash tried to remain interested but she didn't know a lot of Earth history, despite the fact she had been on Earth for at least a good 400 years or so.

The Doctor seemed to sense that she was trying but he went on, "To maintain soil fertility, the Aztec farmers annually scraped muck from the canal bottom and applied decaying aquatic vegetation to the islands to prepare seed beds. The gardens became one of the most productive farming systems ever developed. By the time the Conquistadors came, the area of Xochimilco had become a rich agricultural district where many of the city's flowers, fruits and vegetables were grown."

Tash sighed, "I don't know Earth history, Doctor. So half the stuff you're talking about doesn't make much sense, except for the parts about farmers scraping muck off the canals and using it to grow food and flowers. What are Aztecs and who are Conquistadors?"

The Doctor sighed, "I suppose I am a bit long winded. Oh well, no time like the present to learn Earth history, Tash. If you can recite your own people's history, then learning Earth history should be a breeze for you."

Tash made a bit of a face, "Yea, but that was when I was young and a lot of my learning was not only recitation but…telepathically learned as well. I am not so young anymore and it's a bit harder for my kind to pick up new knowledge after a certain period of time."

"Nonsense, Tash. If I can learn Earth history, so can you."

Tash rolled her eyes, "Whatever you say, Doctor. But I thought you brought me here to see the floating gardens."

"I did."

"Then can't history wait? It's not like it's going to go anywhere."

The Doctor grinned, "That's true, most of the time. Sometimes it can go a bit mad capped but generally, it stays the same."

Tash smiled grateful to get out of studying, but then the Doctor said, "But that doesn't mean you can get out of learning anything. When were done here, you're going to learn some Earth history in the TARDIS."

Tash made another face, since when did the Doctor care about her learning Earth history? She let out a mournful sigh.

"I thought you'd like this place, Tash. Why the mournful sigh?"

"Nothing."

"What?"

"Doctor, I am 639 years old, isn't it a little late for me to learn Earth history?"

"Why Tash, I was in my prime at that age. I am shocked."

"Umm Doctor, I am not a Time Lord, I am a Mala'shra. At my age, I am slowly nearing the end of my life span. It's a little hard for me to…" Tash blushed lightly, "Well it's a little embarrassing to admit but I am getting old and my memory isn't as good as it use to be."

The Doctor sighed and looked down as his Mala'shraian guest, he was so pleased to have a person who could match his years, that he had forgotten that Tash, despite all her youthful vigor was indeed getting old. And she was right, she wasn't a Time Lord. Not only that, she could pass for being human with her looks, so he kind of forgot that she wasn't human either. As much as he was fond of Tash's company, she was an alien from a race which had their own complex issues.

"Well...I suppose the only way to get around that is let you take your time at learning. I still would like if…well if you're going to travel with me for a little while, you should learn a little Earth history. After all, Earth is kind of one of my favorite stopping points."

Tash sighed, "I suppose I can't argue with that. All right, I'll try to learn some Earth stuff."

"That's the sprit. Are you hungry, Tash?"

"It seems like I just ate a little while ago."

The Doctor chuckled, "You should probably eat again, because you kind of lose track of time when you travel in the TARDIS. Besides eating on a trajinera, that's a flat boat, is not to be missed."

"We're going for a boat ride?"

"Yep."

Tash grinned and then gave the Doctor another hug,

"Umm Tash, you might want to cool it on the hugging bit, not that it's cute and all but humans kind of take displays like that the wrong way."

"Oh," Tash said a bit dejectedly.

The Doctor sighed, "Yea, you remember when you hugged me like that and Rose saw you doing that. She was…well she wasn't exactly enthused."

"So all humans are like that…."

The Doctor looked thoughtful. He really didn't care about what humans thought about him and Tash, but he still missed Rose. And truth be told he felt a bit uncomfortable having Tash hug him constantly even though it was basically a gesture of friendship. He knew hugs could be had for all sorts of occasions. But still not wanting to let go of the memory of Rose and how she had felt about Tash touching and hugging him, he lied. "Yes, most humans are like that."

Tash nodded but looked a bit sad, "But how can I tell you and show you, thank you properly."

"Just say, Thank you."

Tash wrinkled up her face in displeasure, "That is so…..cold and unfeeling. No wonder humans seem so cheerless at times."

The Doctor gulped down the sad and displeased looks on his friend's face. The truth was he was struggling trying to find cheer. He changed the subject, "Come on let's go rent that boat."

They walked around getting to the docks, The Doctor flashed his psychic paper around and they managed to get a nice little boat. In truth, a lot of this was a lot like being in Venice, but Mexico was a lot warmer than Venice and Venice was just plain cold. The scenery was nice too, little farm houses, and gardens that made up the canals, that had to be at least hundreds of years old were still bearing flowers and fruit.

The poler, carefully guided the boat down the canals, hundreds of other little boats were in the canals as well. Some were selling food and drinks and the Doctor waved them down. Oh how he wished Rose was here, she would have loved this but Tash seemed to be enjoying the scenery. She seemed really impressed. "So Tash, what do you think?"

"I think my people would like something like this."

The Doctor chuckled, "It wouldn't be the first time people have copied something on Earth."

The sound of a Mariachi band filled the air and the Doctor smiled, "Listen to that music. Isn't it beautiful?"

Tash nodded, "It is, Doctor."

He grinned and then flagged over another flat boat that had food cooking on it, and he said, "Tash, you hungry?"

Tash nodded and he prepared to pay for the food, or rather use the psychic paper to obtain the food for both of them.


	8. Shake it like a Polaroid Picture

**A/N: Cheesy title, I know. But I am seriously running out of names for titles. And Thanks Isis for the review, not really too sure on what makes a character a Mary Sue, but I do my best. Please R/R **

**XXXXX**

**Chapter eight: Shake it like a Polaroid Picture...**

"Say cheese…"

Tash was caught off guard as the poler in the boat, took a picture of her and the Doctor in the boat. He handed the Polaroid picture to the Doctor. "A photo…" He handed the photo to the Doctor. "Good memories…"

The Doctor chuckled at Tash's reaction and he looked at the photo a few moments later, "I think it was good, not so sure about my friend, here. She looks positively terrified. Take another. And smile Tash, it's not going to kill you. Well….unless you're not photogenic."

Tash coughed a bit, "Doctor, is this wise?"

"Oh you're camera shy. I should have expected that out of you, after all that time you spent hiding away in the woods, afraid of humans. But you're with me Tash, so smile."

He threw an arm around her and suddenly squeezed her. Tash's eyes suddenly went wide yet again. She wasn't smiling though and so the Doctor took his hand and tickled her under the arm. Tash suddenly laughed and the poler snapped the picture and handed it to the Doctor. Tash gave the Doctor a very dagger like glare, "You lied to me Doctor."

"Huh?"

"You said that hugging wasn't appropriate and then you hug me."

"I said it wasn't appropriate for you. I never said it wasn't for me." The Doctor bit his lip, noticing that Tash looked like she was about to kill him. He decided that that probably wasn't the best thing for him to say.

"So there are two sets of rules, one for me and one for you?"

She swore a mild stream of Mala'shraian curse words at the Doctor and he flinched. Finally she said, "If I wanted that, I would have submitted to the elders of my people long ago."

Since they were at the shore of the canal, Tash jumped and walked off the boat thoroughly peeved off.

Meanwhile the poler looked at the Doctor, "Senor, you have a fiery senorita…"

The Doctor sighed, "At least she didn't slap me."

"Ah but senor, she did swear at you, and that was as good as being slapped. I have never heard such words before in my life. I did not understand them, but the anger was there. What language was that? That did not sound like Spanish to me."

The Doctor chuckled lightly, "No, it wasn't Spanish. And I doubt you will hear anything like that again."

The Doctor sighed and got off the boat and went looking for Tash. Knowing her, she had probably gone back to the TARDIS.

Sure enough when he reached the TARDIS he found Tash sitting by the TARDIS her head folded up in her arms and tears streaming down her face.

He sighed, "I am sorry, Tash. I really, honestly am. I lied because…." He bit his lip, "I miss Rose. She got jealous the last time….."

Tash glared up at the Doctor, "Then why won't you tell me what happened to her? I am your friend, Doctor. I considered Rose a friend as well. Then you lie to me, friends do not lie to each other."

He sat down beside Tash, in the dirt and he said, "Tash….I am sorry. I truly mean it. You want to hear about Rose." He sighed lightly and gathered his thoughts, "It all began when I took Rose home, and the ghosts invaded the world…"

At the end of the story, tears were streaming down the Doctor's face and he sighed, "I can never get her back, Tash. She's stuck there on an Earth that isn't her Earth. And there is nothing I can do."

Tash was quiet, not really sure what to say. She then said with a slight impish smile on her face, "Doctor, I don't understand…"

He frowned, "What don't you understand, Tash?" He thought she was going to ask something about Rose but to his astonishment she didn't.

"Doctor, why do humans take pictures?"

The Doctor took out the Polaroid photos of him and Tash and he smiled "Well Tash, humans take pictures because they can't relive the happiest moments in their lives. So they choose to freeze time in candid little moments, so they can savor that moment again and again. You see these photos, Tash? What do you think about when you see them?"

Tash looked at them, "You trying to put that silly sombrero on my head earlier."

The Doctor nodded, "See, you thought about something related to our trip here. That's what humans do with pictures."

Tash sighed, "I suppose so, but Mala'shraian memory cubes are so much more efficient."

The Doctor chuckled, "I suppose they are, but humans don't have the luxury of recording telepathically enhanced images to a telepathically enhanced creature and then have the pleasure of relieving the fondest memories in their lives. So it has to be freeze framed photos."

Tash considered the Doctor's words for a moment and then her eyes brightened with what she considered an idea, "If you miss Rose, don't you have any photos of her? Good memories? Wasn't that what that guy at the boat said?"

The Doctor smiled and then taking the flowery scarf off her head he ruffled her hair, "I haven't looked at any photos of Rose and me, since….."He paused, "I suppose I should…."

Tash nodded and the Doctor said, "Come on Tash, let's go dig out the photo albums."


	9. Memories

**A/N: Yet, another chapter brought to you by yours truly. Hehe. I liked doing this chapter. I found it enjoyable talking about the various memories the Doctor has. Read it for yourself though. R/R**

**XXXX**

**Chapter Nine: Memories **

Tash's eyes went wide at the massive volume of photo albums that the Doctor had stored on the TARDIS, "Blimey…I didn't know you had this many albums."

The Doctor looked a bit sheepish, "I do… I have been meaning to organize them, just really haven't had time to organize them. Plus this isn't counting the portraits I have had done with friends, before cameras were invented."

Tash turned a few pages of an album and came across a young blond headed woman who wore a brown hat, a brown trench coat, and a scarf, she was grinning vivaciously at someone who wasn't in the picture, Tash guessed that it might have been the Doctor.

"Who's that?" Tash asked curiously. The woman seemed pretty. It wasn't Rose though.

The Doctor glanced at it briefly and looked a bit sad, "That's Romana."

Tash looked up and saw tears in his eyes, "What happened?"

"She was killed in the Time War along with all the other Time Lords."

Tash nodded and turned through the album finding various assorted pictures of Romana along with a guy in a scarf, dressed in similar fashion with her. "Maybe this wasn't such a great idea," The Doctor muttered lightly to himself.

Tash closed the album and picked up another. This one featured a young boy with brown hair. He wore a yellowish top with a blue star. He too was smiling. "Who's that?"

The Doctor sighed again, going through all these photo albums was giving him heartache, but it really was his own fault, he hadn't organized any of them at all. So as Tash dug through them he was forced to look at the faces of some of his companions he had traveled with. "That's Adric. Brilliant. Positively brilliant young man."

Tash glanced up at the Doctor, noticing more tears were burning in his eyes, "What happened to him?"

"He died, Tash. He was trying to solve a mathematical equation. He never finished it; it was one of those life and death types of equations. But it's just as well. If he had, it would have changed history."

Tash looked at a few more pictures of Adric and then closed the album and reached for another. She sighed, "Doctor, do all these albums have people you have lost in them? I don't want to cause you anymore pain."

The Doctor smiled softly and then shook his head, "Not all of them, but when you're a Time Lord, Tash, you eventually lose everyone you care for. But being from a long lived species yourself, I am sure you're aware of age differences."

Tash nodded briefly and pulled out another photo album and took a look at woman with brown hair, she smiled lightly. Some of the pictures of her had defiant looks in them and Tash cocked her head lightly, "This woman seems familiar to me."

The Doctor bent down to look at the photos, "That's Sarah Jane Smith."

Tash grinned, "I have met her."

The Doctor blinked, "You have?"

"Oh yea, she was the only human, I felt that I could trust. She found me once, in the forest. She managed to draw me out. She kept trying to get me to stop hiding so much, but I didn't listen to her, I was too afraid. She even offered to help me."

The Doctor grinned, "That's Sarah Jane for you. Good ole Sarah Jane. Maybe we should pop by and see her sometime."

Tash shrugged and then closing that album, she picked up another. She opened it up only to found a young teenage girl with bobbed hair, a radio was held to her ear. The Doctor smiled lightly as he looked at the photo, "That's Susan, my granddaughter."

Tash looked at the Doctor, her eyes amazed, "You have a granddaughter?"

The Doctor smirked, "Yep. We use to have some truly amazing adventures along with her teachers. Although, I was a bit of a stick in the mud back then."

Tash giggled lightly, "You, a stick in the mud, never!"

The Doctor laughed, "Oh yea, and I was as crotchety as hell."

Tash shook her head, "I wouldn't have believed it."

"Believe it, Tash. When you get to be my age, I am subject to all sorts of mood swings and changes."

Tash chuckled, "Whatever you say, Doctor."

She brought out another album this one was covered in pasted Roses; the Doctor smiled and said excitedly, "This is it. This should be the album. Unless I am getting completely senile in my old age."

Tash giggled and the Doctor opened the album, "Yep. Here's Rose and here's me."

Tash bent down and looked at the photo, she saw a photo of a man with a receding hairline and enormous ears standing with Rose, "Uhh Doctor, I can tell you, that is not you."

"What?"

He looked down, "Oh….that's me in my ninth incarnation."

Tash wrinkled up her face, "Huh?"

The Doctor chuckled, "Oi, I haven't told you. I regenerate. If I get hurt and I am dying, my body rejuvenates itself. All my cells change and I become someone else. I still have all the same memories and all but physically and personality wise I change."

Tash blinked, "So all those photos with all those strange guys next to all these people, that's you."

The Doctor laughed, "Of course, you didn't think I'd let them stand there and get their photo next to some strange bloke, would I?"

Tash giggled, "Unless I count you as a strange bloke."

"Hey…. It's not as strange as what you do missy. You get younger. And it's not like your people go talking about it either. How exactly does that happen?"

Tash blushed lightly, "I suppose I should tell you. Sometime in my life, I'll change as well. Not quite like you, my ears don't change or hair or even my personality. Just suddenly, I just change. It's hard to explain. That's basically why none of us, really talk about it. I suppose the only way to explain it is to wait for it to happen."

The Doctor sighed, "Fair enough. That's probably why I don't talk about regenerating to any of my companions either. Kind of hard to explain something until it happens. I think I understand what you're saying. Any energy transfer in this change of yours? When you were sick, your skin sort of glowed slightly."

Tash sighed her head bent down lightly, "That would be part of it. When it happens, our skin sort of luminesces, it's just a biological process that my people have, nothing more."

The Doctor nodded storing that information in his brain, "I see, good to know. Another thing, one of your daughters, Kara mentioned that you go wandering off when you're about to die, what's that all about?"

Tash looked a bit uncomfortable, "You going to badge me about my physiology all day long, Doctor? I thought we came here to look at pictures of Rose, not talk about our people's biological processes."

The Doctor sighed, Tash was right, although something was bothering her. He had never known her to be this secretive before. Maybe his inclination about ritual suicide was right. He decided to test his theory out, "It's no shame, if that's what your people do, go off and kill themselves, that's not a great secret. There are lots of species that do it. It's usually frowned at though, so if that's the great secret of the Mala'shraian race, it's nothing to be ashamed of."

Tash frowned at the Doctor and then laughed, "Commit suicide, don't be absurd, Doctor."

The Doctor frowned at Tash's laughter. Tash kept laughing for the longest; finally she spoke, "Silly Time Lord, my people don't commit suicide if that's what you're thinking. Ritual death, yes. But suicide, no. It's very ceremonial and religious, Doctor. We don't talk about it. Who knows, maybe one day, I'll let you witness it." She looked thoughtful, "Yes, I'd think, I'd like you to witness my…" She smiled, "I can't think of anyone I'd liked to be there to witness my death, than you, Doctor."

"I am kind of glad, that your people don't. I can't abide suicide. Although now you have got me curious, death rituals?" He looked at Tash with pleading eyes, "Can't you tell me something?"

Tash gave the Doctor a mischievous looking glance, "Oh no, you're not going to badger me over that, are you?"

"Nope…not at all." Although inwardly the Doctor vowed he'd find out.

Tash sighed and rolled her eyes, she doubted the Doctor would let up. She turned back to the pictures. "Doctor, who's this guy?"

The Doctor ginned, "That's Rick…no, I mean Mickey. He was all right, kind of thick at times. But not too bad for a stupid thickheaded ape."

Tash turned a page to find a woman glaring angrily, she had a banana cream pie in her face, and she asked, "Who's that? And why does she have cream in her face?"

The Doctor laughed, "That's Jackie, Rose's mum. It was Mother's day. Rose and I got her a banana cream pie, I tripped over my own feet and well the rest is as humans say history."

Tash giggled, "Are you really that clumsy, Doctor?"

"What are you questioning, whether or not it was an accident? I tell you it was an accident."

The Doctor's eyes had a bit of that charismatic glint about them, between mischievous and misbehaving.

Tash shook her head, "Some how, I don't think it was too much of an accident."

The Doctor chuckled, "Well I have to admit it did make a really good picture."

Tash turned the pages and the Doctor went along explaining the various photos in detail. She smiled, and squeezed the Doctor's hand lightly, he seemed so happy to talk over the various photos of Rose and her family.


	10. Sometimes a Headache is just a Headache

**A/N: I promise you plot is coming but I am sashaying into it slowly and gradually. Hope you enjoy this chapter. The next chapter will end up being climatic, and will bring in an old friend of the Doctor's. **

**XXXX**

**Chapter Ten: Sometimes a Headache is just a Headache **

The Doctor smiled at Tash, she had helped him so much. Perhaps it was her gentle nature, perhaps it was something else. At any rate, he liked it, he liked her. "How about going to see Sarah Jane?"

Tash shrugged and the Doctor frowned, "Are you all right Tash?"

"I am fine."

The Doctor looked at his guest, "You seem a bit troubled, anything the matter Tash?"

"I just have a headache, that's all."

"Headache, ooooh those can be bad. Particularly if they are caused by psychic feedback, you're telepathic and I know from experience how particularly painful those types of headaches can be."

Tash smiled lightly, "Or it could be just an ordinary headache, Doctor. Sometimes a headache is just that, a headache. I have been a bit wound up, lots of excitement, Doctor. I saw floating gardens, got my picture taken, looked at all sorts of pictures of you, Rose, and her family. Excitement can cause headaches."

The Doctor chuckled, "I suppose you're right. So what exactly do Mala'shra do for headaches?"

Tash sighed, "Usually another Mala'shra heals it. Like I said, healing is physical, usually achieved by touch."

The Doctor smiled, "You want me to take a whack at it?"

Tash shrugged, "If you want to, Doctor. Just be careful, I only got one mind….don't damage it."

The Doctor laughed, "I am gentle Tash. I am very gentle. I have touched many minds, Tash. A lot of them were human." He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Trust me Tash…"

Tash looked in the Doctor's eyes, something about them showed a great deal of compassion and kindness. However, part of her didn't like the idea of someone touching her mind, especially if it wasn't another Mala'shraian and part of her was scared, "I….I am fine Doctor."

He shook his head, "Oh no, we are not going through this refusal thing again. Let me help you, Tash?"

Tash shook her head, "Doctor, I am fine. It will eventually go away on its own. I…" she sighed, "I'd rather it were another member of my race. No offense, Doctor but….that's just the way I feel."

The Doctor looked a bit hurt, "But I am your friend Ta'sheeka. I never knew you felt like that."

Tash saw the pain reflected in his eyes at her 'polite' refusal. She gulped and then said truthfully, "Doctor, I am afraid. Afraid that you'll hurt me. Your mind is so much stronger than mine. I can feel its strength. It's reflected in your eyes. It scares me, Doctor."

The Doctor sighed, he couldn't deny that. He realized that he had become a rather imposing person in his past lives and that there were many that did actually fear him, but he had no idea that Tash was scared of him. He bent down and held her hands, "Tash, have I ever harmed you? Have I ever hurt you? I swear…" He paused, he wondered what he could swear by that would have meaning to Tash. Surely, he couldn't swear on Rassilon, Rassilon was a Time Lord figurehead and would have no meaning to her. However, he was not Mala'shraian, and if he swore by the planet and its consciousness; Tash might not think he was sincere, since technically he wasn't bound to her home. But he had to swear something to her. He then looked her firmly in the eyes and with a voice that sounded so much older than it normally did, "I swear by Mala and by Rassilon that I will never harm you."

Tash looked into his eyes, he meant those words, and he meant them with ever fiber of his being. She then said, "Who's Rassilon?"

The Doctor smiled, "A figurehead of great importance to the Time Lords, Tash. To swear by him means I am very serious. I swore by your planet and by Rassilon that I will not harm you, I know both of those names mean a lot to us. So…do you trust me now, Tash?"

Tash nodded, "I trust you, Doctor."

He smiled, "So can I touch your mind, relieve you of that nasty ole headache?"

Tash chuckled lightly, "It's gone away, Doctor. You were so busy swearing to me that you wouldn't harm me it went away."

He grinned, "See, I am that powerful."

Tash snorted, "You didn't do anything."

He smirked, "I am so powerful, and I didn't have to lift a finger."

Tash rolled her eyes, "You're delusional."

"Yep, that's me. So can we go see Sarah Jane now?"

Truthfully, Tash really didn't care where they went. But those sad puppy dog eyes, that the Doctor now used to look at her, melted her heart. Ironic that those eyes which could hold so much power at one moment now seemed so childlike.

She sighed, "What ever you wish, Doctor. This is your ship; I am only here for the ride."

He shook his head, "Honestly, you're way too modest Tash. I am going have to break you of that habit."

She sighed and shook her head. She doubted that the Doctor could break her of being modest, it just was her nature, but she watched as the Doctor pulled levers and pushed various buttons. The TARDIS dematerialized from Mexico and into the void.

"I put a tracking device on K9. That means anytime I want to find Sarah, I find K9."

Tash cocked her head, "Who is K9?"

The Doctor grinned, "K9 was a robot dog of mine. I built a few of them for company. The first one was given to me by another doctor. He helped out when I was sick once."

Tash blinked, "You can get sick?"

"I am not immortal, Tash. Well…kind of immortal, semi-immortal. It's hard to explain. A Time Lord can live a long time. I already told you about regeneration, that's kind of part of the secret. Except for accidents, Time Lords are immortal. But eventually once we use up all our regenerations, that's it. We die, just like any other species. But I can get sick. I can be hurt just like anyone else."

Tash took in this information thoughtfully but was quiet.

The TARDIS dematerialized once more and the Doctor grinned, "Come on Tash, let's go surprise Sarah Jane."

He grasped Tash by the hand and both of them exited the TARDIS.


	11. Popping in for Tea

**A/N: Just to warn you, I have never ever written Sarah Jane before. But she's one of my favorite characters. So I am doing my best. Hope you enjoy this chapter. And please R/R and tell me how I am doing. **

**XXXX**

**Chapter Eleven: Popping in for Tea **

The Doctor looked around, "Nice house, a bit small. But nice just the same, lots of flowers and plants, Tash." He grinned as he knocked at the door. And then he froze, he should have something for Sarah Jane. The last time he met her, he had given her a new K9. But he had nothing for her now. He stuck his hands in his pockets and he pulled out a bag of jelly babies. He grinned. But that was so fourth-ish of him. Maybe not. He again dug through his pockets and pulled out a banana. He said to Tash, "Which should I give her, Tash? Banana or jelly babies? Bananas are good, but jelly babies are…well they are classic."

Tash laughed and then the door opened. The Doctor grinned at Sarah Jane, "Hello Sarah Jane. Care for a banana or a jelly baby?"

Sarah Jane laughed, "Doctor….you and your jelly babies."

The Doctor quickly put the banana away, Sarah Jane was sentimental. And sentimental was best. He held out the bag and she stuck a hand in and pulled one an orange one and she chewed on it.

"You could have told me you were coming. No warning, nothing. Just knock at the door and…"

He grinned, "I just live to surprise you Sarah Jane."

Tash was quiet; it seemed that Sarah Jane and the Doctor were friends, perhaps more than just friends. Sarah Jane's glance turned towards Tash and then the Doctor. When she didn't see Rose, Sarah Jane said quietly, "Where's Rose?"

The Doctor looked a bit melancholy, "She's gone, Sarah Jane. But….she's alive, and that's all that matters to me."

Sarah Jane nodded, from that tone of voice the Doctor used, she knew better than to go into details. Although at one time, she had been jealous of Rose. But it was easy to fall for the Doctor, his charm, his joie de vie. Sarah gulped; she had thought she had been able to move past this. The Doctor had regenerated, he had changed. He wasn't _her_ Doctor anymore and she had accepted that, but now he was back jelly babies in hand. He wasn't too different. He still had that forlorn and melancholy personality about him, it shown through the grins, the smiles, the jokes. He was still the same old Time Lord she had met all those years earlier.

She then focused on Tash, the girl seemed familiar but, it couldn't be her could it. She had heard rumors once of a strange woman who lived in the woods, and she being the journalist that she was, went there and found an alien. She had learned a little bit about her, her name was Ta'sheeka. But she was terribly shy and afraid of most everyone. It had taken lots of time, but she had been able to learn that the girl had been banished to Earth by her own people. She had even offered to take her in once, but Ta'sheeka had refused. This girl she looked at seemed younger than her, it just couldn't be her.

The Doctor smiled, "Sarah Jane, allow me to introduce you to Ta'sheeka Nirata. She said that she met you once."

Sarah Jane blinked, "You seem a bit young, the last time…"

Tash blushed lightly, "I never told you about my people's way of aging. It's different to most species; I grow younger rather than grow older."

Sarah Jane sighed and shook her head, "Figures. I meet an alien that can regenerate and then I meet an alien that grows younger as she ages. Nothing surprises me anymore. Come in, both of you."

The Doctor nodded and said to Tash, "You first, Tash."

Tash shook her head, "No, you first, Doctor."

The Doctor shook his head, "Haven't you heard the expression, ladies first, Tash. Now get in there."

Tash shook her head, "No."

"Well you've heard it now. Now ladies first."

Tash cocked her head curiously but went in and the Doctor followed. Sarah Jane closed the door.

"So Doctor, what brings you here?"

The Doctor looked around the house, "Hmm this house isn't as small as I thought."

Sarah Jane smiled, "No, it's a lot bigger on the inside."

He grinned, "So it is...I just came to have tea, if that's alright with you?"

"Tea, it's never just tea with you, Doctor."

"Oi, can't hide anything from you either. Nah, I am just looking for a missing Loch Ness Monster. Have you seen it?" He then winked lightly, "No, I just came here to reconnect. We never really got to do that the last time I saw you. I brought Tash, 'cus she said she met you once."

Tash added, "That means that he wanted an excuse to come here."

Sarah Jane nodded at Tash, she was right about that, the Doctor wanted an excuse to come here and he had dragged a poor hapless alien with him. "So is the Doctor planning on taking you home?"

"Took, I already took her home, I left her there for about seventy two years. Then the TARDIS decided to take me back to her home and….she sort of ended up along for the ride."

Sarah Jane laughed, "Yea, that sounds just like the Doctor. He did the same thing to me. Takes me home, forgets about me and then bumps into me again like nothing at all. At least he got the location for your home right. I ended up in Aberdeen when I was suppose to be in Croydon."

The Doctor coughed and shifted a bit nervously, he didn't like being compared. Thank goodness Tash, was polite enough to...and then she spoke.

"Really? Maybe I ought to help you with that tea."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, "What do you know about tea, Tash?"

"I don't know anything at all. But perhaps Sarah Jane can teach me." Tash got up and went with Sarah Jane into her kitchen.

He gulped; he didn't like the idea that Tash and Sarah Jane were getting chummy like this. But he had already ended up making Tash upset once, he didn't dare complain too much. He sighed and then he heard a familiar sound, a whirring of gears. And he grinned, "K9…."

Metal ears wagged back and forth and he saw the familiar 'tin dog', "Greetings, Doctor-Master."

He smiled, "How long has it been since I last was here, K9?"

"It has been twelve months, six days, and thirteen minutes."

The Doctor sighed, so it hadn't been too long since the battle of Canary Warf. He then said, "K9, it has been so long…would you like to play a game of chess with me?"

"Affirmative."

He grinned and suddenly he heard a scream, and his grin turned into a look of concern. Sarah Jane came running out of the kitchen, "Doctor, its Tash. She suddenly paled and then she just passed out."

The Doctor frowned, and remembered that Tash had been complaining of a headache earlier. He had a sinking feeling that this was related to it. "Sarah Jane. Get her on the couch."

Sarah Jane went back into her kitchen and then carried out the Mala'shraian woman and laid her down on the couch.

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and waved it over Tash, "Hmm lots of activity in her cerebral cortex. Very strong energy patterns, but it's limited." He scanned himself with the sonic screwdriver, "Yep, just her. It's as if…" He paused, "As if someone was trying to give her and only her, a message."

The Doctor turned to K9, "K9 can you locate the signal coming from Tash's brain?"

"Negative. My power supply is too limited to conduct such a scan."

The Doctor looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "The TARDIS. I'll hook, Tash up to the TARDIS, she has telepathic circuits. She should be able to figure it out. She might even be able to decipher the message."

He looked at Sarah Jane and grinned, "What do you say old girl? Feeling up to some sleuthing, it would be just like old times."

Sarah Jane shook her head, it never failed. The Doctor had come for tea and instead something ended popping up the moment he had arrived. Part of her felt like a young girl again, there was something exciting about it all. She suddenly felt that longing within her, that longing of being with the Doctor, traveling and seeing all those marvelous things once again.

She sighed. She couldn't resist. Damn it all. Just once when she had felt like she had gotten over the Doctor. She was stuck on him and his way of life, once again. "Sure, why not. But just to warn you. You had better get the time and the place right. I am not a young girl anymore and all this traveling from one spot to the next gets a little rough on me."

He chuckled, "Of course, Sarah Jane. You know me."

"That's the problem. I do know you. And nothing turns out perfect with you. I am just as likely to end up being dropped off a hundred years late."

He grinned, "Now Sarah, would I honestly do that?"

"Yes, you would." She turned to K9, "K9 stay here. And I do mean stay. Let me know the exact date and time when we get back."

"Affirmative Mistress."


	12. Reach Out and Touch Someone

**A/N: I feel quite accomplished that I managed to do two chapters in a twenty four hour period time rather than one. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Things are getting a bit more interesting. Please R/R. **

**XXXXXX**

**Chapter Twelve: Reach Out and Touch Someone **

Sarah Jane entered the TARDIS, Tash in her arms. The Doctor hadn't changed much; there hadn't been much question over who would carry Tash. She had thought about complaining, if she had been younger she probably would have, but that would have been counter productive. You just couldn't change the Doctor. More than likely the Doctor would change you. He left his influence in your life and it left a lasting impression.

"Put her on the floor, near the console."

"On the floor? But shouldn't she be in the medical section."

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Yea, but then how could I hook her up to the TARDIS."

"Oh, sorry if I sounded stupid."

The Doctor grinned, "You're never stupid, Sarah. You're right she should be in the medical section. But she's not sick. Her mind just overloaded. Sensory overload would be the best term. Something traumatic occurred and caused her to pass out. Now technically, she shouldn't be receiving any telepathic messages at all, since technically at this moment in time, a past Ta'sheeka would be safe and snug back home on Mala'shi having that big ole family of hers. But…"

"But…." Sarah said. Leave the Doctor to leave her hanging.

"Tash is telepathic. The TARDIS is telepathic. Everyone that travels in the TARDIS, the TARDIS links with them. If Tash is receiving a message, it's from her future. It's brilliant; I have never seen such a link before. The TARDIS has developed a temporal displacement link with Tash. It's absolutely brilliant; Tash is getting a message from a future moment in time. It's incredible. It shouldn't be happening but it is. Usually only a Time Lord has that sort of link with a TARDIS. Then again….I suppose it could happen. After all Tash comes from a race that uses organic technology as well."

Sarah sighed, "So you're saying that she shouldn't but she is? Why?"

"I don't know why, Sarah. I guess the TARDIS is really fond of Tash. Who am I to argue who the TARDIS becomes fond of? She always liked you. She thought very highly of you."

Sarah stroked the TARDIS consol lightly and it let out a bit of a purr. The Doctor grinned, "Told ya. Do me a favor Sarah; I am going to link some of the TARDIS's telepathic circuits to Tash's brain. Since the message is temporally out of sync with her, only the TARDIS can translate it. When Tash got it, it made no sense and over loaded her mind. When I link Tash to the circuits, Tash will be part of the TARDIS for awhile. That's going to be a bit….awkward on both of them, the TARDIS and Tash. I want you to keep an eye on Tash. There is a possibility that, Tash's consciousness might become part of the TARDIS, if that happens, we will have to sever the link as quickly and delicately as possible. Otherwise, Tash will die and the TARDIS…."

"Tash will become part of the TARDIS. That's not good, is it Doctor?"

"No, Sarah. I want you to monitor Tash's vitals"

Sarah frowned, "And what are Mala'shraian vitals? I seriously doubt that they are like a human's."

The Doctor sighed, "They aren't and to tell you the truth I really haven't a clue what they are."

"You mean to tell me, Doctor, that you a Time Lord don't have any clue about an alien's physiology."

The Doctor grinned a bit sheepishly, "Nope. The Mala'shra are notoriously secretive about how their physiology is. Think about it, Sarah. If as a race, you don't function as the norm, and you become younger rather than older, would you seriously divulge what in your physiology cause that to occur? Would you reveal anything about how your body functions, if you feared that another race might take advantage of it?"

Sarah sighed, "Alright Doctor, point taken. But how am I supposed to monitor her, if I don't know what to monitor?"

The Doctor looked thoughtful, "Just make sure her pulse is strong and not weak. Her temperature isn't too cold or too hot. That's the only thing I can say, Sarah."

"Okay….I hope you're right."

"Me too."

Sarah Jane gave the Doctor a bit of a nasty look. She didn't like the idea that she had to be responsible for someone's life.

The Doctor proceeded to go to work. He managed to disconnect various wires and circuits from the TARDIS and began to connect them to Tash. Sarah didn't like this; it made her feel uncomfortable that the Doctor had to connect the TARDIS to a living person. And then finally the Doctor took his sonic screwdriver and made the connection between Tash and the TARDIS.

The TARDIS console flickered lightly and the room was filled with an Un-Earthly glow. He heard a familiar voice, _"My children. Please help my children. Please help me…"_

Tash began to shake suddenly in Sarah's arms. "Doctor!"

The Doctor put a hand to Tash's forehead, "She's boiling…"

The Doctor began to sever the connection. But he feared Tash's rising temperature. If she got too hot, it could cause brain damage. "Sarah. Get ice Get ice water. We have to bring Tash's temperature down. If I sever the connection with her temperature too high, it may cause brain damage."

Sarah Jane got up and ran further down the corridors of the TARDIS. She hoped she could find the items the Doctor needed. The TARDIS had changed considerably since the last time she had been in it. She wandered down the corridors of the TARDIS and muttered, "Come on TARDIS. Come on. Don't let me down. Don't let the Doctor down, and don't let Tash down either."

She entered into the kitchen of the TARDIS and gathered ice. She then got a bucket and filled it with water. She lumbered back to the control room with her load.

"Put some of the ice in the water, Sarah Jane." Sarah Jane went to work and put some of the ice in the water.

"What do you want me to do now, Doctor?"

"Pour the water all over her."

"But what about the TARDIS?"

"Damn it Sarah Jane, never mind the TARDIS right now. She'll be fine. I am worried about Tash."

Sarah Jane poured the ice water all over Tash. "Now dump the rest of the ice around her body."

Sarah Jane dumped the ice over Tash and then the Doctor bent down and felt her temperature and sighed, "It's lowering." He then proceeded to sever the connection. Tash's body gave a jolt as he finished.

The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief, and put a finger to her neck, "Heart still beating. She's alive. I just hope she isn't brain damaged."

"Now what?"

"We wait, Sarah Jane."

"What about the message? Did you get the message? I didn't hear anything at all."

The Doctor grinned, "Of course you wouldn't. It was telepathic. Humans won't develop telepathy till at least the 51st century and even then it's in isolated cases. Of course that's not saying that humans can't become telepathic now, you just have to have the right stimuli, usually it has to be traumatic."

Sarah Jane sighed, "So what did the message consist of?"

"In a nutshell, Sarah Jane, it was an SOS, a SOS for Tash. I can't do anything till she wakes up. Since technically the message was for her."

"But if only the TARDIS could translate it, doesn't it mean that the message might have been for you as well."

The Doctor sighed, "Probably. But it came to Tash's brain first. This means, it was intentionally meant for her to hear first. So we wait. I just hope there is no brain damage to Tash's mind."


	13. Home Again?

**A/N: Okay. For some reason I really think this chapter could be a bit better. But it does its job and it moves the plot along. Please R/R**

**Chapter Thirteen: Home Again? **

Tash gave the Doctor a bit of a glare but she couldn't before she let out a tremendous sneeze. Her teeth were chattering "Tha…tha…nks…a…lot…Doc…tor….you…gave me…a cold. Stupid…hum…man…alli…ment."

The Doctor sighed he was relieved that was all that Tash had. Considering that she could have died, became part of the TARDIS, or become brain damaged. A cold was the least of his worries. Sarah Jane had Tash all bundled up in blankets, and a cup of hot tea was in her hand.

"Consider it part of experience, Tash. The common cold has been plaguing humanity for thousands of years."

Tash glared at him as she took a sip of the hot tea. She then said, "Maybe I ought to sneeze right in your face, Doctor. And you can experience it yourself."

Sarah snickered lightly, "Oy you should hear the Doctor whine when he gets sick. He's such a baby."

"I am not."

"You are too, Doctor."

Tash sneezed once again. "What in Mala's name did you do to me? I feel like you dipped me in freezing water."

"We did," The Doctor said.

"I am…freezing cold…"

Sarah Jane sighed and wrapped another blanket around her.

The Doctor looked at Tash, "Tash, do you remember anything when you passed out?"

Tash shook her head negatively. The Doctor said firmly, "Try and concentrate…think. You were with Sarah, helping her make tea and then it happened…."

Tash closed her eyes, "I felt pain. I felt the pain and emptiness. It was quiet. And that was all."

The Doctor gave Tash a light pat on her back, "Good girl. I don't expect you to remember much out of all that, but it's good to know you're mind wasn't a complete blank."

Tash sneezed, "What happened?"

"I had to connect you to the TARDIS, to figure out a message, Tash."

Tash's eyes went wide, partially filled with fear and anger, "You did what? You hooked me up to your machine, as if I was part of it. You treated me as if I was a machine and not a living person, to figure out a message in my mind, what kind of…" Tash began to have a sneezing fit.

The Doctor cringed, "I am sorry Tash."

"You didn't even ask me for my permission, you just did it." Her blue eyes looked intently and angrily at the Doctor, "I have had enough of your hospitality, Doctor. Take me home."

The Doctor grinned lightly, "Very well, Tash."

Sarah Jane frowned, "Doctor, what are you up to this time?"

"Nothing, Sarah. Tash asked to be taken home and I am going to take her home. Why do you assume I am up to something?"

"Because, you have got that look in your eyes, I don't know what it means, but it generally means something."

The Doctor smiled, "Sarah, I promised you a trip, for old time's sake. And Tash, I'll take you home."

He worked the console with his own special type of magic, causing the TARDIS to dematerialize away from Earth and back to Tash's time. Finally the ship dematerialized on Tash's planet. "You want off, Tash. You're home. Want to take a look around, Sarah?"

Sarah knew the Doctor was up to something. "Doctor, you still haven't told Tash about what this message is about and you haven't really told me either."

The Doctor said calmly and quietly to her, "Sarah, going home to Tash's planet is where the message originated. So who am I to argue with what Tash wants?" He grinned lightly.

Sarah sighed and shook her head, after all this time the Doctor hadn't changed one bit, he still could end up getting what he wanted without making much fuss about it. "So I assume we will find out more about this message on her planet." The Doctor nodded, "Yep."

He opened the door, "This should be Tash's holy city, the holy city of the Mala'shraian people."

He looked around, they were in the middle of the city but it was quiet. "Oy not again. This is the second time I have come to this city and it's quiet as a tomb."

Tash peaked out of the TARDIS. "This isn't right, there should be people here. My children. The market is open. All the goods sold here are still around." Tash picked up a fruit from a nearby vender's market and bit into it casually. Its juice ran down her chin. "It's as if they all just disappeared."

"That's exactly what has happened and I do not know where they are."

The Doctor turned to see the white haired Mala standing before them. "What do you mean they just disappeared?"

Mala sighed, "Disappeared Doctor. One moment they were living their lives and the next, they were gone. They just vanished into thin air. I had no choice but to call to Tash and to you Doctor."

The Doctor nodded, "Sounds like a transmat. But who would want to steal the people of Mala'shi and why?"

Sarah Jane looked thoughtful, "Doctor, what exactly do the Mala'shraians do?"

"Nothing much. They are pretty much a peaceful lot, who pretty much spend their time gardening. They are well known for their genetic manipulation of animal and plant life." The Doctor suddenly grinned as an idea came on him, "Why Sarah Jane, you're brilliant. The people of Mala'shi, there science and mental manipulation of plant and animal life is amazing. I have seen Tash grow flowers and plants with her mind. It's one of those little tricks and skills all her people have, isn't that right, Tash?"

Tash nodded blandly, she seemed empty. In fact she looked quite pale. Maybe it was the cold she had; perhaps it was shock that her children were stolen from her. The fruit she had taken a bite out of came out of her hand and rolled into the dirt. And then the tears flowed.

"Tash, I will find you're children. Make no mistake of it. I'll find all 879 of them and 2,000 or so of your grandchildren and bring them home."

Tash let out an ear piercing cry and she rent her clothing. The Doctor cringed but watched as Tash mourned. Sarah Jane placed an arm around Tash. "I have worked too hard to bring my people back from the dust and now they are gone."

Sarah pressed Tash against her, "There, there. Let it out if it helps you feel better. But the Doctor isn't going to let you lose all that you've worked hard for. Believe me. I have seen him work wonders."

Tash sighed, "We don't even know where they are at?"

The Doctor grinned, "Ahh….but you're forgetting I have the TARDIS. Now mind you, I can't interfere in established events, but no one said I can't track down a transmat signal that happened hours before hand. If I can pinpoint the signal when it happens, I can find out where your children were stolen, Tash. How about it?"

Tash wiped the tears from her eyes, "You'd do that for me, even after I yelled at you about what you did."

"Of course…and you're right I should have asked you Tash, but if I hadn't we wouldn't have found out what was going on here."

He turned to Mala, "Now when exactly did this happen?"

The planet sighed, "Four days ago. It happened late in the afternoon."

The Doctor grinned and then said, "Come Sarah, Tash. Back into the TARDIS, let's chase down some kidnappers."


	14. Of Telepathy and Slavery

**A/N: Here's the next chapter to my story. Sorry it has taken so long to update, but my family has gone through a bit of tragedy lately, hence the gap in updates. Hope you enjoy. Please R/R **

**XXXXXX**

**Chapter 14: Of Telepathy and Slavery **

Tash was still crying as Sarah Jane helped her back into the TARDIS. The Doctor sighed, "Tash, I haven't lost your children yet."

Tash shook her head, "It's not that….I can feel them. Crying and in pain. They are my children."

The Doctor and Sarah looked at each other for a moment, seeming to both grasp upon some sudden revelation amongst themselves. He then said, "Why didn't say something about that earlier, Tash? If you felt them….then that means we can trace where they are."

Tash said, "You didn't ask."

The Doctor sighed, he hadn't thought of asking. Of course, he should have realized that Tash had a connection to her children. If she hadn't had such a bond, then she wouldn't have received a message or felt something terrible in the first place, "How strong is your bond with them, Tash?"

Tash shrugged, "I don't know. My people don't measure psychic and telepathic ability. We only know some are strong, others not so much. Usually those with strong psychic and telepathic ability become healers and growers. I suppose I am one of those who were born with a strong affinity. My people at one time measured it, but gave up; it gets tricky after awhile to create a standard to measure such ability because each Mala'shra is different and not the same."

Sarah Jane didn't even know Tash had telepathic ability, Tash had never said anything concerning it when she had first met her. Then again, Tash had been so shy. The idea crossed her mind, had Tash read her mind? All those times she was there. A concerned looked came upon her face and reflected itself on her features.

The Doctor smiled lightly, "Sarah Jane, do you think all telepathic races want to know what's going around in your primitive little mind?"

Sarah gave him a nasty look, "Oy, Doctor. Stay out of my head; you're doing it now even. You get into my head, even when I don't want it."

Tash frowned, wondering what had brought this conversation on; except that she had mentioned that she was telepathic.

He laughed, "Oh Sarah, Sarah. I only mucked around your mind because I have always been worried or concerned for you. You know, I didn't particularly like it when you were going around saying 'Eldrad must live.'

She sighed, "Okay, okay. You're right. But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

The Doctor smiled and saw the look of confusion on Tash's face and he said to Sarah and to her, "Besides most telepathic races have a code of etiquette when it comes to themselves and others. Isn't that right, Tash?"

Tash suddenly realized that the whole conversation was about her and her telepathic abilities. She blushed lightly, "Yes. Was someone worried that I would violate someone's mind?"

Sarah then felt foolish because it was obvious that Tash had no idea what was going on conversation-wise because she had chose not to 'read her mind.' "I guess I jumped to conclusions. I am sorry Tash, although it would have made it easier if you had told me."

Tash sighed, "I was scared, Sarah Jane. And at the time, I followed my own instincts. I chose not to tell. But now can we please find my children."

Sarah nodded; Tash had been very shy and timid when she remembered her. Although being with the Doctor, she seemed to be not as shy when she had been. If anything, Tash was a bit more open and spoken with her and the Doctor.

The Doctor nodded, "Quite right. Now Tash, your link to your children, I have to link you once again to the TARDIS or…" The Doctor paused; he wasn't fond of the second option, an option that would have required him to link with Tash's mind himself. Since he was already linked to the TARDIS, the TARDIS would know the location from his linking with Tash. But he didn't want to, for the obvious reason that Tash would read his thoughts as he linked his mind to hers. He wasn't sure if he was up to Tash feeling his thoughts and his memories.

"Or what, Doctor?"

"I could link my mind with yours. I am already connected to the TARDIS but linking to my mind is a caution. I don't keep my mind too tidy. Lots of untidy dendrites. Sarah Jane can attest to that or was it Leela? See what I mean? My mind isn't completely there."

Tash chuckled lightly and Sarah blinked, "Who's Leela?"

The Doctor coughed a bit, "Another traveling companion, an Amazon woman, well kind of. Savage. Yes, those were interesting days."

Sarah nodded; she had accepted that she was replaceable. After seeing the Doctor with Rose, she had come to terms with Rose being with him. The Doctor, at least this version of the Doctor needed her. When she traveled with the Doctor, that version or rather versions of the Doctor needed her during that time. Strange that traveling with the Doctor, she had learned that things all depended on time.

Tash laughed, "I am not afraid of an untidy mind."

The Doctor gulped a bit, "You're not?"

"Nope. Unless you are."

"I am not afraid."

"Good."

The Doctor muttered something untranslatable under his breath. How did he end up in these situations to begin with? He took a breath and then said, "Okay Tash, I want you to close your eyes and focus. Focus on the cry of your children, focus on their pain."

Tash nodded and did what she was instructed. The pain and cries filled her head. Tears came down her face. Voices. So many voices. She began to scream, "Too many…too many voices. So many in pain." Tears poured down her face.

The Doctor and Sarah cringed; they didn't like seeing Tash in pain. He quickly put his hands on her face and sighed. Why did he worry in the first place? Tash was in so much pain, he doubted that she would feel anything from him at all. But he moved forward. He placed his mind beside hers. Soothing the pain she felt, making the pain more durable and then he focused on tracing it. He could feel it, see it in his mind, that silvery translucent link that cried somewhere from space. He followed it and let the TARDIS follow it with him. He followed the cry, past stars. Stars that were so very familiar to him and then it settled upon a world. A barren world, a world that cried out with famine. And he saw them the children of Ta'sheeka. And he saw through their eyes. They were working the land, or rather being forced to work it. They were being forced to cultivate a famine ravaged planet. Anger and rage filled him. He trained his eyes on those who had enslaved Tash's offspring. The Kasi. He should have known. The Kasi Empire held a vast number of planets in their hands, and kept many of those people from those planets as slaves. A government, that was a lot similar to Earth's Roman Empire. The Doctor was not fond of them. It was only a matter of time when he and the Kasi crossed paths.

He broke the telepathic connection with Tash and said, "We are headed for the planet of Pannath, it's a planet that has had a famine for at least fifteen years. I believe the famine has ended recently but…the famine has been so massive. It has nearly killed off most of the viable plant life on the planet. But that doesn't mean that it can be re-cultivated."

Tash's eyes were filled with tears. She was breathing heavily, but was still aware and conscious, but visibly shaken. Sarah said softly, "Are you all right, Tash?"

"I…I…think so. It hurts. My brain feels numb."

He paused; he couldn't understand why the Kasi wanted a practically barren planet for. Then again, the Kasi were expansionists. They were all for expanding their empire and establishing colonies. They must have seen some value in Pannath. Whatever that cause was, he'd figure it out soon enough. He then said, "Your brain will be fine, Tash. Give it some time to recover. You've done well though. More than well, your amazing, Tash." He gave her a smile.

He set the TARDIS for Pannath and he grinned, "Hold on, both of you. It's going to be a bumpy ride."

The TARDIS gave a lurch, and Tash and Sarah were sent a winding. "Told ya…" The Doctor said. "There's quite a bit of turbulence in this area of space."


	15. Tears and Turbulence

**A/N: Okay I admit this chapter is a filler chapter. Bear with me, okay. I promise the next chapter will have more action to it. **

**I do not own Doctor Who**

**Please R/R **

**XXXX**

**Chapter fifteen: Tears and Turbulence **

"Wow, I had no idea Mala'shra can't handle turbulence that well."

Sarah Jane looked a bit cross, "Doctor…it's not her fault. You're a terrible driver."

"I am not."

"Oh yea, and I am not the one who gets the date wrong, manages to put people on the wrong place, get practically sucked into black holes, and or trapped on planets with strange sounding names."

Meanwhile, Tash looked a bit sheepish. She hadn't meant to throw up on the TARDIS floor. Truth was she was still sick. She was fighting off an alien virus (the common human cold) to which she didn't have the antibodies for, her mind felt like someone had grated hard cold nails across it, plus her ears were ringing. Probably a side affect of the cold, maybe an ear infection. Mala'shraian ears are sensitive, after all being pointed and delicate, they can easily be susceptible to infections, particularly when a Mala'shra is on a low ebb. And Tash was very much on a low ebb. The Doctor's bad driving didn't really help matters either. She then proceeded to have a sneezing fit, which interrupted the Sarah Jane's little tirade against the Doctor.

The Doctor looked at Tash, "You're not looking well Tash."

"Oy and that's a diagnosis, Doctor? Of course she doesn't look well, she just threw up."

Tash said calmly, "I need another Mala'shra."

The Doctor remembered how Mala'shraians are able to heal themselves. But he had no idea how to accomplish that when there were no other Mala'shraians to be found on Tash's home and the others were all slaves. "That bad, Tash?"

She nodded.

The Doctor looked at Tash with concern, "I suppose I am going to have to learn how your people heal each other."

He put a hand on her forehead, it was burning with fever and for some strange reason he bent over and gave her a kiss on her forehead. It felt a little like kissing a younger sister. There was so much sweetness to little Tash, so much kindness and warmth. She also was very much a plucky individual. The day that Ta'sheeka's time ended would be a sad day indeed. There were so few, good natured individuals in the cosmos anymore.

He had no idea what her reaction would be when they would get to Pananth. He knew his own was outrage. But Tash was very calm and collective. Perhaps she was saving judgment for when they got there. But what he knew of Tash, he knew that she hated violence. However, her own past had been filled with violent outrage. She had wanted to die at one time because of it. However, he didn't know what would occur when they arrived on the planet. Was she worried? Concerned? He had seen her race at war. He knew what terrible destructive acts, the Mala'shra were capable of. He had no doubt that Tash knew it as well. All Mala'shra were asked to recite their history. Although the Mala'shra had for the most part had given up their violent past, they were always capable of destructive acts. But that was most races, including his race as well. Perhaps Tash was struggling to know what course to take. He took Tash's hands in his own and he said softly, "What must I do?"

Tash said calmly, "Look for the infection. It is there? Can you not feel it?"

The Doctor nodded and then focusing his mind on it he felt it. Tash's body began to give a soft golden light and he gasped, uncertain as to what this entailed. Tash smiled lightly, "That is part of the healing process, Doctor. Do not be afraid. Now I want you to take the infection and…let it go. Let it go back to where it came from into the elements of life itself. Like a breeze on the wind."

The Doctor smiled. He now understood what the Mala'shraians did. Through there own telepathic and psychic abilities they were able to cure their own sicknesses. The Mala'shra are truly an amazing people, that in itself explained the Mala'shra's longevity in some small part. The infection that Tash was having refused to budge, it probably was due to the fact that he wasn't Mala'shra, but that wasn't going to stop him. He worked at it again; it was a good thing that he was stronger telepathically in this incarnation. Although his last incarnation had its moments, he knew his strengths and his limitations in each of his past lives.

He looked a bit shamefacedly at Tash, "Could you give me a bit of hand, Tash? No offense to you, but I think there is a bit of a biological connection that I don't particularly have." The Doctor eyes brightened and idea surfaced to his mind, he turned to Sarah Jane, "Now Sarah, don't be offended any. But a Doctor's got to do what a Doctor's got to do."

Sarah chuckled lightly and suddenly the Doctor bent over and kissed Tash right and promptly on the lips.

Sarah gasped lightly, since when did the Doctor actually kiss people? Her Doctor was so very proper. She had tried to kiss her Doctor once, but that had turned out rather embarrassing. But clearly this Doctor had no qualms now about kissing.

He then laughed as he released his lips from Tash's. He then found the infection with ease and his body took on the same warm golden glow that Tash had. And Tash's body did the same. Suddenly the glow faded away and he smiled, "There….gone."

Tash was blushing lightly and he smiled, "Don't get any ideas that was a genetic transfer. I transferred some of your genetic material to myself so I could make the proper biological connection and heal you." He then grinned, "And who said kisses can't heal."

He looked at Sarah Jane who had a look of shock on her face. "Oh Sarah…." He paused trying to explain himself. How could he explain himself?

Sarah put a hand on his shoulder, "You've regenerated, Doctor. I…guess I really don't know you anymore."

He looked at her. He felt a bit sad. He honestly wished at this moment in time he could turn back his regenerations and go back to the regenerations that Sarah knew. He nodded a bit and then he held her hands for a moment and said softly, "I am still the same man, Sarah. I know I have changed quite a bit since we were together but…"

Sarah stared into his eyes for a moment, and for at least a brief moment in time she could see those sparkling eyes she remembered. A few tears went down her face. The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, "Honestly, women and tears. Take this Sarah and wipe away what ever feels moist. I can stand almost anything. Daleks, Cybermen, but I can't stand a weeping woman. Gah… one tear drop and I am doomed. Whatever you do Sarah, you better not cry and the same goes for you Tash. Because I tell ya, a crying woman is my disaster. "

Sarah took the handkerchief and began to dab her face. She smiled and laughed softly at the Doctor's words.

The TARDIS suddenly dematerialized. "Looks like we are here," The Doctor said.


	16. We’re off to see the Wizard…

**A/N: Finally something that's going on….a chapter. Hehe. Hope you enjoy. Please R/R. And thank you for reading. **

**Chapter Sixteen: We're off to see the Wizard…. **

Tash was quiet for a moment and the Doctor watched her waiting to see what her reaction was going to be. After all this was her people, and he knew that even though if he interacted in this situation, it was hers as well. She tightened the pearlesque cloak around her shoulders. And she said, "Well Doctor, I don't know about you, but I am going to demand that they return my people back home."

There was something authoritative about her words. The words a leader has for her people, perhaps it was also mother-ish in nature. The Doctor knew better to get in the way of an angry mother. Yet, in his past two incarnations, he managed to be right in the path of an angry Jackie Tyler. He smirked lightly thinking about it. But looking into Tash's eyes there was a low simmering anger. It was more than being a mother. Of course it was part of it, but it was someone that knew they were in charge. The Doctor sighed, "Well Tash, it's your people. I'll support you all the way."

Sarah Jane was the only one that was silent, her jaw had dropped. "This is crazy. What makes you think they'll actually let the Mala'shra go?"

Tash voice suddenly burned with anger, "My people have willingly helped others with their planets, and my people have helped to colonize many barren worlds. To be stolen from their home is an outrage, Sarah Jane Smith. If they had only asked, we would have helped. I do not want to ask them. But…."

Tash suddenly was quiet. The Doctor could feel that anger; shoot how many times had he gotten furious? He had never seen Tash get so worked up. Well that wasn't entirely true. She had been once worked up against him, but he had helped set her straight. Thank Rassilon; he sure didn't want to be in the direct line of a Mala'shra's wrath.

A few angry bitter tears went down Tash's face as she gathered her thoughts and then spoke, "I am the better race. I will ask them. It proves that I am from a civilized and enlightened people. If they refuse, they will be sorry."

The Doctor nodded, he admired Tash's gimp. Although he wondered what would happen when the Kasi refused. He really didn't figure them to do what Tash demanded. She was a very slender and waif like creature. She wasn't too imposing, then again none of her race was meant to be big or imposing. Their evolution never meant for them to be warriors or a race capable of empire building. The Doctor knew that, there strengths lay in the harvesting and cultivation of their home planet. They were a race of farmers, using what mental skills that creation had given them. They could make a barren wasteland blossom. Tash's demanding back her people seemed almost comical, but he knew better to pass it off as humorous. He knew what the Mala'shra was capable of when they were threatened or were angered. He had seen it with his own eyes. That last statement, _'they will be sorry'_ didn't sound too good. Strange that he was taking rather a passive role in this, but he had decided to take a wait and see approach. After all these were Tash's people, her children and her family. He opened the door of the TARDIS and he managed a smile, although it masked the grim feeling he was feeling beneath it all. "Well no sense sitting here, come along, Sarah Jane. " He didn't have to say anything to Tash; she was out of the TARDIS as if she had been shot.

They walked across a dusty, barren terrain, with a few fertile patches in between. Tash paused for a moment taking stock of the fertile ground with plants growing and she said bitterly, "This was planted by my people. There blood was used to make this ground bloom."

The Doctor nodded, he had never seen Tash so incensed. He wasn't exactly sure if he knew her as much as he thought he did. It kind of unsettled him some. Usually he was the one who got this angry. He put a hand on her shoulder, "Cool it Tash." He couldn't believe he was the one recommending her to put a damper on her anger. Then again, she had ever right to be angry. This was her people. But an angry Mala'shra wasn't a good idea. To make certain, he turned and looked at the plants. They were swaying in a violent manner; but no wind was making them sway. He gulped, this wasn't good. A Mala'shra had quite a bit of control over plant life, and those plants which seemed so harmless at one moment were now acting very much under the power and influence of Tash.

Sarah shuddered, it reminded her too much of the Krynoid seeds that the Doctor and her had found all those years ago. She had a very healthy respect for plants after that. She said calmly, "Tash, maybe you ought to calm down like the Doctor said."

Tash was still angry and the Doctor said, "Tash, the plants. Look at the plants. If you don't calm down you'll do something that you will regret."

Tash began to cry lightly, "My children…"

"I know, Tash…" The Doctor said calmly. "But take a breath. Let it go for the moment. We're your friends. And if you let your anger get out of hand, it might harm us as well. Do you want to hurt us as well?"

Tash shook her head negatively, "No. I only want to do what's right for my people."

"So do I. So calm down, Ta'sheeka Nirata, take my hand as a friend and walk with me. After all, when you have me as a friend, things always get better."

He held out his hand. She looked at it for a moment and then she grasped it. The Doctor smiled lightly as he put his own psychic touch upon Tash and dampened her mental powers. The plants stopped swaying violently. There was after all a time and place for this and now really wasn't the time. But he also wanted to comfort his friend. Although he was feeling that this was becoming more than friendship, he wasn't falling for her. Oh no. He didn't feel that kind of pull, but it was more like a brother's care for a sister. It was slightly endearing to him. He had to admit that he kind of liked it. To Tash, it felt a lot like a warm compassionate hug. And she took her hand and squeezed his hand tightly and he squeezed her hand back. The Doctor grinned and then held out his other hand to Sarah Jane. Sarah Jane sighed and took the Doctor's other hand and he grinned, "You know I feel like saying Lions, and Tigers, and Bears…oh my." They proceeded on their walk.

Sarah Jane snorted, "Doctor, I seriously doubt that we are off to see the wizard."

"Hey you never know. The only thing we need is the TARDIS to crash on a wicked ole Witch and…"

The Doctor suddenly went quiet. His eyes narrowed and he pointed to group of figures working near by on a barren strip of land. He let go of Sarah's hand and dug out his psychic paper. But he still keeps a good hold on Tash's hand. He can not afford to let go of her hand, for he worries that if he does, she will strike out in anger against everyone here.

He grinned lightly as he walked up to a guard, a Kasi guard. Kasi look a lot like humans in various ways but the fact of the matter is they are not human. They do not have a lot of hair. What they do have, they gather up and plat into a single braid. In this braid they wear all their military or state honors they have gained with various jewels. The more jewels in their hair, means the more honors and rank they hold. They are generally taller than humans in height, not by much but enough to be noticed as being taller. There general appearance is that they wear military uniforms or elaborate robes of state. Most of them are either soldiers or politicians. It is a military society and anyone that is not a Kasi, is considered an inferior race. Not that all their society is like that. Some of the Kasi, believe that all species are equal but they are a minority of the population. They often join with other races and protest their own government.

The Doctor shows the psychic paper and states firmly, "I am Doctor John Smith from the society of Ethical Treatment of Races. This is Sarah Jane Smith and this is Ta'sheeka Nirata of the Mala'shra race. We are here to demand that the people of the Mala'shra are shown fair treatment. They are not slaves; they are sentient beings that deserve to be treated properly."

The guard looks annoyed as he looks at the psychic paper and sees the Doctor's references, "Bloody malcontents. How the hell did you get here on Pannath? This whole expedition isn't known to a lot of people. In fact it's top secret."

"Top secret? Why?" The Doctor asks slightly curious.

"Oh no…you don't have the clearance for that." The guard mutters, "You still haven't explained how you found out about the Mala'shraian dogs we have here."

Tash's eyes flame with fire and she looks as if she is about to tear out the guard's throat. The Doctor holds firmly onto her hand and keeps her from doing so. He can tell her anger is just about at its peak. "Contacts in the Kasi government have told us about your expedition and that you are using the Mala'shra to terra-form this planet."

"Really? Well I am only a minor grunt here. All information goes through Captain Shay. He's in charge. I'll take you to him."

The Doctor smiles, "Thank you."

Sarah Jane notes the psychic paper and says quietly, "Doctor, when did you get that?"

"A long time ago, Sarah Jane, it's extremely useful, believe me. Now come along you two, we shouldn't keep Captain Shay waiting."


	17. Cultural Misunderstandings

**A/N: Don't really have any notes to offer. Just thanks for reviewing my work. Story will probably be over in about three to four chapters or so, give or take. Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing. Only char and race I own is Tash and the Mala'shra. **

**XXXX**

**Chapter Seventeen: Cultural Misunderstandings **

The Doctor looked around the tent, as they waited for Captain Shay. The Doctor glanced over star charts of various planets and all of them were close to Pannath. Something odd was going on here. Captain Shay entered. The Doctor could not tell if he had any hair at all. His braid was covered in jewels and various adornments. "Oy that must be heavy, how'd ya walk without out…oh I don't know becoming top heavy?"

Sarah Jane snorted lightly with laughter. Tash was the only one that wasn't laughing.

Captain Shay snorted, "These adornments and jewels were awarded to me by her majesty the Empress, Kai. Long may her reign be."

"Oh yea, wouldn't want to insult the grand Empress of the Kasi, long may her reign be, just as long as you're not a slave."

Shay glared at the Doctor, "My people have every right to expand their reign over lesser species, what right do you have to say otherwise?"

"Oh I don't know. I am useless. I don't have any rights at all, isn't that right, Sarah Jane."

Sarah smiled lightly, "Yes, Doctor. You are pretty useless."

The Doctor then said, "Tell me Captain Shay, why all these maps? Has the Empress commanded something big? Oh I don't know a war fleet."

Shay chuckled, "Of course not, Doctor. These maps are just for colonization purposes."

"Colonization by war, you mean. I know your people, Captain Shay. Your colonization practices mean taking someone else's home and making it yours. Except Pannath, this planet has been abandoned for a long time. Its natives left it when the rains stopped falling, but this planet isn't dead. It's just a fixer-upper. But it's got a nice location. Lots of neighbors, and lots of room to grow, isn't that right? The Kasi never heard the idea that good fences make good neighbors, have you?"

Shay smiled, "Doctor, I almost think you don't like the idea. See the Kasi have to expand and…"

"Your Empire is dying. You're trying to hold on to the past but every time you conquer one segment of the universe, another piece of your Empire breaks away. You're stagnating. How much time do you have left, Captain Shay? A year, maybe ten, perhaps a hundred, or if you're really lucky maybe a thousand."

"How do you know this?"

"I am old, Captain Shay. I have seen lots of Empires crumble to dust. I have seen my own people's government crumble to dust."

"Who are you?"

"I already told you, I am the Doctor, Captain Shay."

"Doctor…..what kind of name is that?"

"An old name…Captain Shay. From a people as old as time itself. They are dead, but their voices live on….they live on in me. And I am telling you, what are you holding onto? The past is dead. Your Empire is crumbling bit by bit, day by day. Let them go….Captain Shay. Let the Mala'shra go. You brought them here so you terra-form this planet as a staging area for war, but what's the point? In the end the Kasi Empire, will die. You want to save your race from that, go home, go home Captain Shay. Preserve what you have left of your old Empire and remain there. Otherwise…"

The Doctor picked up a hand full of sand from the ground and he blew it away, "Yet another fallen civilization."

"Heresy….you offend the great Kasi Empire. You will die this day."

The Doctor sighed, why was it when he told the truth, nobody could accept it? He then grinned and held up Tash's hand, "Do you really want to do that? I am holding back the storm. I let go of her hand….and well….it's going to get nasty. This is the oldest member of the Mala'shrian race. She's been around the block. She's not as docile as the rest of her race; you see Tash was forged from war, unlike her offspring. You really want me to let go of her hand?"

He grinned at Tash, "Tash you have anything to say, to this guy?" He let go of one of her fingers.

Tash glared at Captain Shay, "My people are not slaves, and we are an honorable race. If you would have asked my people for help, in the first place rather than taking them away by force, then we would have helped you. But you prove how vile a race you really are. I demand that you let my people go. I am Ta'sheeka Nirata, mother and the oldest member of my race."

Captain Shay laughed, "You are nothing but a child, a brat. Why should I listen to the words of a child?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes; Shay had thrown the biggest insult that he could of at Tash. He had called her a child. It was at the height of cultural rudeness to call an older Mala'shra a child. Even though biologically they were, that didn't mean there minds were. "Oy he's asking for it, isn't he Tash?"

Shay called out for his guard to bind up the Doctor, Sarah Jane, and Tash. The Doctor smirked lightly, "You better not separate me and Tash. I am the only thing keeping her from…."

The guards came in and they tore Tash's hand away from the Doctor's.

The Doctor grinned, "Now you're in trouble."

They laughed, "How is yanking her hand away from yours trouble?"

"Oooh I'd look behind ya, you really should look behind ya."

A bunch of creeping vines from a grove nearby had snaked its way in. The vines or rather the plants that were winding themselves around the guards and Captain Shay had been planted earlier, by Tash's brood, to provide shelter and shade to the Kasi. Now these very plants had become their very enemy. Tash had a malevolent look on her face. The vines curled itself around the guards and Shay's feet. They hadn't even noticed. And suddenly the vine tossed them about. The vines curled around them and wound and coiled about them. Tash was about to squeeze the life out of them when the Doctor said,"Tash….don't." The vines tightened. "Tash, listen to me….if you do this, you'll never forgive yourself."

Sarah Jane cringed at the scene; she never liked it when people died, but she couldn't blame Tash wanting to kill them.

Tash glared angrily at the Doctor. "They stole my children, made slaves out of them…."

"But do they deserve to die, Tash?"

Tash paused in her attempts to squeeze the life out of the Kasi, "I…I don't know."

The Doctor put his hand on Tash's shoulder, "Didn't you say that your race was civilized and enlightened? How is killing them going to prove that?"

Tash's shoulders slumped; the plants stopped suddenly.

The Doctor sighed and then hugged Tash lightly. "Come on let's get your children and get out of here, provided that we don't run into any more Kasi."

"Do not worry Doctor. As soon as we gather up all my children. The Kasi won't be too much of a threat."


	18. No Second Chances…

**A/N: Not much more left. Kind of a sad chapter actually, and you know with the Doctor, this isn't going to be pretty. Please R/R **

**Chapter Eighteen: No Second Chances… **

Tash looked at the bundles that held the Kasi captain and some of his guard. She went over toward the plant covered bundles and then spat on them in obvious contempt. The Doctor laughed a little, "Okay, Tash I don't think we need to know how you feel about the Kasi."

Tash grinned a little, "Doctor, they are my captives. I didn't kill them, so don't I have the right to play with them, just a little…."

The Doctor sighed and then shook his head, in slight amusement, "I suppose you're right."

Tash took a peak outside the tent and frowned, "More Kasi…."

She suddenly grabbed a few seeds off the vines that were in the tent.

Sarah Jane said, "Tash what are you doing?"

Tash looked a bit impish, "Planting…"

The Doctor chuckled; he was amused at his Mala'shraian friend.

Sarah Jane frowned, "I don't get it."

The Doctor said, "Sarah Jane. Planting means so much to Mala'shrian culture. It's well…it's there way of life. From how they are born to….how they make their technology. And….what exactly are you planning to do Tash?"

"My people are slaves, they plant. So I will plant with them. I will scatter like the seeds amongst them and find out more, Doctor. Then I'll return to you. I must let my people know what is happening. I have a plan. Go to the TARDIS, Doctor. I will return to it in 500 del'ka."

The Doctor smiled, "And what exactly does this plan entail, Tash?"

"That the Kasi have underestimated the power of the Mala'shra. Wish me well, Doctor."

She slipped out the tent and was gone.

Sarah Jane frowned, "What's 500 del'ka?"

The Doctor chuckled, "That is a measurement of time to the Mala'shraian race, and it's the human equivalent of 30 minutes."

Sarah Jane nodded, "So what do we do now, Doctor? Oh no, I know that look, that means you got something in that Time Lordian head of yours."

The Doctor smiled and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "Now honestly Sarah, what makes you say that? Besides sitting here is boring and I am a bit worried about what's going to happen in 30 minutes."

Sarah Jane groaned lightly, "I was afraid you'd say that. And I know you Doctor, you just have that look. I have seen it all those times before you regenerated."

The Doctor smiled and exited the tent and seeing a bunch of tall braided haired Kasi he grinned, "Hello…"

They trained weapons on him. He rolled his eyes and Sarah Jane came out behind him. Finding the weapons trained on her as well.

"I think you better check on your captain….he's a little indisposed of."

The guard barked orders and a few members ran into the tent to find the captain and their members wound up in vine.

A Kasi glared at the Doctor, "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing," The Doctor said with a grin.

"Liar…"

"Oy, I swear to you I did nothing."

Sarah Jane snickered lightly to herself, when the Doctor told the truth, it really sometimes did not sound convincing enough.

"I tell ya, I did nothing. But I am telling ya now; you better leave because in thirty minutes time, it's going to get ugly."

"Are you threatening the Imperial Kasi army?"

"No. Just warning you, because something is coming, if you don't have the sense to leave…."

The weapons suddenly were trained on the Doctor, and they clicked, they were planning on firing on them, and the Doctor suddenly grabbed Sarah Jane, "No body move, or she gets it." He held his sonic screwdriver against Sarah Jane's head.

"Doctor!"

He grinned lightly and whispered in her ear, "You worry too much Sarah Jane."

The guards lowered their weapons and the Doctor backed away from the tents. He then smiled, "Thank you." He looked at Sarah Jane and said, "RUN…"

The two ran and suddenly blaster fire fired at them as the Kasi suddenly realized they had been duped by a hostage situation. Sarah Jane screamed. She was hit in the arm. She looked at her arm; skin had been chard away, leaving raw and oozing flesh.

The Doctor's eyes flared in anger as he saw Sarah's wound. He grabbed her by the arm and ripped part of his suit and wound it around her arm as they were running. Reaching the TARDIS doors, he opened them and Sarah Jane and the Doctor ran inside. He slammed the door shut and he said to Sarah. "Sarah Jane, let me see your arm…"

-0o0-

Tash traveled swiftly and secretly against the land, from the moment she exited the tent she acted like a lowly misbegotten slave. She bowed her head in humbleness and said she would go to work. The Kasi guard let her go, believing her to be nothing more than a simple thickheaded slave.

But as Tash worked the message spread across the fields and areas from mind to mind. For the Mala'shra were telepathic. And the message was thus:

_The time is at hand, my children, it is I, your mother and your leader, Tash. The Doctor has brought me to save you. In 500 del'ka reach out with your minds towards the plants you have tended. We are a free people, and a proud people. We are no one's slaves. The very plants we plant and tend are our weapons, and the Kasi will die. Reach out and live my children. For the time of our freedom is near…_

The message carried among the Mala'shra from mind to mind….

-0o0-

The Doctor heard the message in his mind as well. After all he was telepathic as well. He sighed and shook his head, he had warned the Kasi, in fact he had warned them twice. That was better than he usually was. He had warned the captain and he had warned the guard. None of them listened. And now the Mala'shra were going to act out on their own. It served the Kasi right. They needed to learn. He could feel the power building as minute after minute passed. He cleaned Sarah Jane's wound in the TARDIS med section, and applied a dermal skin graft to it, "There you go, Sarah. Good as new. Give it a couple of days and you won't even realize you lost your skin to begin with."

The Doctor was quiet and Sarah Jane noticed somberness had fallen over the Doctor. "Doctor, what's the matter?"

"The Mala'shra are going to retaliate, Sarah Jane. I can feel it. Good thing we got back to the TARDIS."

Sarah Jane nodded, "How long till…"

"Ten minutes…nope nine minutes."

"Isn't there anything we can do to convince the Kasi?"

"Nope. No second chances, Sarah Jane. They had plenty of warning."

Sarah Jane sighed, "You're not the Doctor I know anymore. Even after what happened at the school that one time."

The Doctor nodded sadly, "That's true, Sarah Jane. I use to have so much more mercy. But that was before the Daleks came to Gallifrey and that was before I had to…"

Sarah Jane kissed him lightly on the cheek and the Doctor said, "What was that for?"

"Treating my wound and…trying to help you not be so melancholy."

The Doctor grinned, "Aww gee Sarah Jane; I have always been melancholy. You know me."

"Yep, but you were good at hiding it, well most of the time."

The Doctor laughed, "True…"

Suddenly the TARDIS shook a lightly.

"That's the Mala'shra. They are attacking…"

He got up and went to the TARDIS control room. Sarah Jane followed. The Doctor turned on a screen and watched as roots came up from the ground of the planet and swallowed the Kasi by the dozens. Screaming and crying were heard. Meanwhile the Mala'shra were perfectly and quietly still, as the Kasi were swallowed up and buried in the ground. The TARDIS shook again.

"Doctor, are we safe?"

"Sarah Jane, of course we are safe, we are after all in the TARDIS. Better to be in here, than out there…"

The TARDIS gave a bit of a groan and the Doctor said, "I hope…"


	19. The Noblest of Tasks

**A/N: Really, Really, short chapter….but there isn't too many chapters left. And things are getting wound up slowly but surely. Please R/R**

**XXXX**

**Chapter Nineteen: The Noblest of Tasks **

After all the creaking and groaning of the TARDIS, silence prevailed over the planet. The planet did not swallow them whole. Although Sarah Jane could have sworn that the Doctor had held onto her a few times for comfort, because he was afraid. Although afterwards he denied it all, "Honestly Sarah Jane, you're going to have to stop latching onto me all the time. It's not healthy."

"Healthy! If I remember correctly you're the one that nearly squeezed me to death."

"Only because you asked for it."

"Asked for it, I never asked you for anything, Doctor."

A light rapping was heard at the TARDIS door and the Doctor opened it. He opened it and looked around expecting to see Tash, in fact he couldn't find her at all. But a light tug at his trench coat and he looked down to what looked like an eight to ten year old girl.

She smiled softly, "Hello Doctor."

"Tash? What happen did you shrink in the wash?"

Tash rolled her eyes a bit, "No….I did not shrink in the wash as you put it. The mental energies of my people, I…well…." Tash sighed lightly, "It was a lot of energy….it overwhelmed me even and….well….I am not young anymore and the next thing I knew…."

The Doctor smiled, "Your biological process kicked in and you aged younger. Ahh...kind of a strange feeling, isn't it?"

Tash nodded sadly. "Everything is so much bigger than I am use to."

The Doctor grinned, "You'll get use to it. I know the feeling; believe me, although I have never regenerated to the age of a child, now that would be weird."

Sarah Jane reached out to embrace Tash, kind of like a mother would do for a young child, the poor girl seemed slightly upset and so Sarah Jane moved forward to comfort her and…

Tash jumped back, "Hey…."

The Doctor laughed, "Humans and maternal instinct. You'll have to excuse Sarah Jane, it's that human instinct. Go and cuddle the child bit."

Tash said firmly, "I don't need cuddling."

Sarah Jane blushed lightly, slightly embarrassed, she had sort of forgotten about the fact of Tash's people aging in reverse. But Tash looked as cute as buttons, she kind of invoked into the human mind that she needed hugging. "Sorry…"

The Doctor smirked; Tash was probably not in a good mood. And who could blame her. She was edging closer to the final stages of her lifespan. A child, at least in Mala'shrian society, was a person that was coming to terms with their own mortality. "Look at it this way, Tash. You can now get into Disneyland at a discounted rate. I'll take you there if you like."

Tash sighed, "No Doctor, this planet must be cleansed. You know very well that what we did was…." She paused, "We have never acted out as one universal force, for such a very long time. The elders forbad such a practice, to use life to take life, we only did so when the need arose and it would take an old mind, like mine to be able to…." Tash sniffed lightly, "To do it, to initiate and bring all the minds of the Mala'shra in a violent act of war. I have broken ages of non-violent tradition, Doctor. It is not an honorable thing. Many of us have decided that the only way to forgive such a transgression is to plant this planet and make it bloom…. what is the human term….like a…well like a rose. Otherwise, the blood that was shed today….this planet will never rise to it's fullest potential, it will be forever marred, by what we have done."

The Doctor smiled softly. He looked deeply into Tash's eyes, "You really are a noble race, Tash. To rebuild worlds is a noble task."

He gave Tash a hug, "You're one of a kind." He then said, "So….what now?"

Tash smiled, "Well some of us need a ride back to Mala'shi. And I need to get some supplies before we start this task. Would you take us back home, Doctor?"

The Doctor grinned, "I'd be honored Tash."


	20. Family Reunion

**A/N: Pretty Fast updates, yes I know. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy. Please R/R. **

**XXXXX**

**Chapter Twenty: Family Reunion **

The Doctor smiled as Tash went around hugging various family members. Family, he sighed, oh how he missed his own. He had offered to take some of Tash's large progeny back to Mala'shi. But he hadn't expected….no he should have. It was like a family reunion. A big monstrous root here and there stuck outward with a Kasi head mashed in between, it was a foreboding scene, quite horrific, but the Mala'shra were doing their best to plant over it. Even now he watched with amused interest as the Mala'shra began to grow flowers and plants over the bodies of their enemies. The Kasi were going to be peeved off when they found out that there planet they had claimed had been claimed by another race, one they considered inferior. But the Mala'shraians had proven that they could fight back just as well. It was a bit sad, to see the death of innocence in this peaceful lot. But that's how all races evolved, even his own, despite the fact that his own race were all dead.

Now, he could understand why the Mala'shraians wanted to rebuild this planet. Besides it would do them a lot of good, they were taking steps at colonizing. It was a start of a new age among the Mala'shra. Mala'shra rarely left home, for most were content to stay at home and plant plants. In the Doctor's mind it was very idyllic, and not all together practical, but he saw something new and wonderful going on here. It was history all in its making and he was here to witnesses it. "Sarah, you ought to watch this. The Mala'shra are able to grow plants at five times or is it ten times, I can't remember, any way it's over the normal rate than a human can grow a plant."

Sarah sighed and shook her head, the Doctor was yet again, showing her the universe, "It's all very nice, Doctor. But….I'd like to go home."

"Home? Why? I thought that after this, you would want to stay."

"Doctor, it was fun to have one trip, but I am getting a bit old for this…."

"Alright, I understand, but….I was hoping that…" He turned back to watch the Mala'shraians and Tash. He didn't feel like looking at Sarah Jane, because he might not be able to hold back what he was feeling. His other incarnations were less weepy than he was, he tried to keep himself very stoic.

Sarah sighed, "Doctor…I am not…well…her. I know you know who I am talking about but…this life of yours….I'm just not cut out for it anymore. This trip sort of proved it."

The Doctor nodded and was quiet, he had hoped that Sarah Jane would have kept traveling with him but now he was seeing how it was going to go. Tash was going back to her people and Sarah Jane was asking to go home. He was going to be lonely, yet again. But he tried to keep himself as cheery as he could.

Tash gathered at least a thousand of her family to come back with her to their native home. Tash was so very lively now and she went running off and then came back with the very maps the Kasi were going to use for their invasion. She came running or rather walking back and the maps looked cumbersome to the smaller more diminutive form of Tash. They fell out of her hands and the Doctor ran over and helped her pick them up. "And what is this for?"

"To help me plot a course back here, with my own ship."

"You know a girl your age, ought to settle down." He was teasing her, trying to get her to lighten up at least a little bit. After all, getting older was part of life. Even for him.

"I am not dead yet, Doctor and all that has happened in the short time I have traveled with you has revived me so very much. Before I felt so old….and now I haven't felt so alive in over seventy years."

The Doctor smiled. "I am glad. So are you ready to leave with some of your family?"

"Yep…"

The Doctor opened the TARDIS and Tash entered and the Doctor and Sarah Jane entered as well. "Old girl we have a ship load this time…"

The TARDIS murmured lightly. She wasn't use to having this many passengers on her. Tash smiled softly at the TARDIS and said quietly, "It's just part of my family…."

The Doctor said, "Don't mind the TARDIS everyone, She'll be fine. Just sit down and DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING…"

The Mala'shraians nodded and they took a seat. All of them were looking around and murmuring that it was 'bigger on the inside.' When everyone had sat down, the Doctor said, "Alright….everyone hold tight." He worked the control console and The TARDIS dematerialized away. The Mala'shraians held each other. A few of them cried a bit. The Doctor rolled his eyes a bit, "Shhh….nothing bad is going to happen. Sarah Jane, Tash, a little help please."

Sarah Jane nodded and went through the huddled masses of Tash's people and hugged them or talked to them. Tash on the other hand stood still and the Doctor figured they were communicating telepathically. Good ole telepathy, one of the most complex and yet basic forms of communication in the universe. A few moments later, the TARDIS dematerializes on Mala'shi and the Doctor opens the door and peaks out, "See….told ya nothing bad is going to happen."

Sarah Jane bursts out laughing.

"What?"

She keeps laughing.

"Sarah Jane, stop it."

Sarah Jane wipes tears away from her face because she was laughing so hard, "Sorry Doctor, it's just you saying that nothing bad is going to happen."

The Doctor snorted, "Hilarious…."


	21. Hospitality

**A/N: Well this is it. The end of the story, I worked hard, just so I could finish the story. Hoped you liked it. I may do another story sometime in the future. But it will be a bit longer time down the road, since I have so many other stories I am working on at this moment in time. **

**XXXX**

**Chapter Twenty-One: Hospitality **

The Doctor walked around a bit Mala'shi, he was being careful though. After all his last visit here entailed him tripping over a root, falling face first in a pile of mud, and then being chased by moving trees. Oh yea, and a very fussy planetary consciousness. Tash had told him that the planet had wanted to speak to him alone, for some odd reason. He didn't like it. Maybe he was just nervous; it wasn't as if the planet had gone completely rogue on him. Crossing a ridge into a valley, he gasped seeing a tree, it had silver leaves. A white haired girl appeared, "Do you like it, Doctor. It's a gift. It's not a Gallifreyan tree, mind you, but…I thought of trying to grow a silver leafed tree just for you."

The Doctor sighed, "It's pretty just the same, Mala. It reminds me of home."

Mala nodded and then said, "Take a seed from it, Doctor and grow it in your TARDIS, when you look at it think of me. Then perhaps you will not stay away so long from me and my children."

The Doctor reached out and snapped off a seed from off the tree. He plopped it into his trench coat pocket.

"I guess this is it. Goodbye…"

The white haired girl laughed, "It is never goodbye, Doctor. Goodbye means you are staying away forever. You are not leaving forever are you?"

The Doctor chuckled, "I suppose not. How old are you anyway? Forever is a long time, and I don't really know when I am coming back."

The girl laughed, "Ahh….that I have no answer for. I wasn't always actively aware of things, the day one of your race came upon me, was the day my mind was fully aware. I owe more to your people than you realize, Doctor. It is your people who gave me conscious thought and awareness. And I don't even know when that was; it was such a long time ago."

The Doctor smiled, "Well Mala, it's been nice talking to you. And…"

The planet chuckled.

"What?"

"Oh Time Lord, my daughter, Ta'sheeka, she wishes to call you her brother. She wants to adopt you."

The Doctor made a bit of a face, "Now I really have to go. I don't do families."

Tash smiled lightly as she crossed over the ridge and joined him and Mala, "You would insult me, Doctor. The Mala'shra don't offer such a rite to anyone, or everyone. You respect us. You respect my people. No other race has ever or completely done so, in our long history."

"I respect all races, Tash, but I don't expect to be adopted because of it."

"Doctor I think of you as a brother. And…."she sighed, "I have seen some of your mind. You are lonely, a lonely man without a race and without a home." She paused, "I can not take the place of your people, Doctor. No one can do that. But I am trying to….trying to make your existence a little less lonely. You can call me sister and I can call you brother, to be called family is….well it makes existence a little less empty."

The Doctor sighed, Tash was right. "But being your brother….it might….well I….everywhere I go, Tash, destruction and death follow me. If you adopt me….I fear that curse will come on you as well."

Tash laughed, "That's just life, Doctor. Life is dangerous. Even the youngest flowering bud fears that its bud will freeze from the chill. Although your life is a little more perilous, it's not as if everyone else's is not. Let me call you brother, for it is a simple thing. I don't expect you to stay, Doctor, but perhaps it will give you some small comfort to know that somewhere, someone calls you family."

The Doctor threw up his hands in mock defeat, "Alright…fine. You win. Are you sure there isn't a bit of Gallifreyan blood somewhere in you? You could have confounded a lot of my people at one time."

Tash giggled lightly, "I am 639 years old. I am nearing the end of my life; you would think that at this time that I might know a thing or two about… people to do what I wish."

The Doctor chuckled lightly, "I suppose that's true. Good bye Tash, goodbye sister. I'll try and come back a little more frequently, even if it's just to say hello."

Tash nodded, "It's all I ask."

The Doctor smiled and giving Tash one more hug and a kiss upon her cheek, he walked back to the TARDIS.

-0o0-

The Doctor entered the TARDIS. Sarah Jane held in her arms various flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Not to mention she also had quite a few baskets as well with similar items. The Doctor chuckled, "Sarah Jane, you look like a vender at a market."

"Very funny, I tried to say no to these people's offering me gifts. They wouldn't take no for an answer. They kept laying down fruit and vegetables, and all sorts of plants on me."

The Doctor smiled, "That's the hospitality of the Mala'shra for you. They don't take no for an answer either. They are very stubborn like that. Anyway….home for you Sarah Jane."

The Doctor worked his console and the TARDIS dematerialized off the planet. The next minute, they were back in Sarah Jane's house.

Sarah Jane smiled, "Now to see if I am right."

"Right about what?"

"You getting me back in time."

"Oh and you think I can't do it."

Sarah Jane opened the TARDIS doors and found K9, "K9, how long have we been gone?"

"Mistress, you and Doctor, master have been gone for 2 weeks."

Sarah Jane looked at the Doctor and he sighed, "Sorry….Sarah Jane. But by this time, you ought to know the TARDIS never really ummm….works exactly well…"

The TARDIS let out a bit of a growl and the doors slammed shut.

The Doctor tried to open the doors but they remained shut. "Now look what you have done, Sarah Jane. You've upset the TARDIS."

"I've upset her. Oh no, Doctor. You're the one who ended up angering her."

The Doctor sighed and rubbed the blue box gingerly, "She'll calm down….eventually. So….Sarah Jane…" He reached into his pockets and held out a bag, "Care for a jelly baby, while I wait."

Sarah Jane sighed, "Of course."


End file.
